Our Story Like many modern epic love stories, ours began… on a dating app. Super romantic, we know. It was actually my very first app date, so I was fully prepared for awkward small talk or an excuse to run for the door. Instead, Kerrigan, this ridiculously charming chemist, showed up, listened to me talk for about three straight hours, and somehow decided he wanted to see me again. Turns out, he’s a great listener, and I happen to be a really great talker. A match made in heaven. We bonded instantly over science, superheroes, movie quotes, and queso (the real star of the date). There were no awkward silences, mostly because I never let one happen, but Kerrigan rolled with it like a champ. The Early Days Our romance didn’t exactly race out of the gate. At the time, I was constantly traveling and trying to finish my undergraduate degree, while Kerrigan was buried in a demanding lab job. Somehow, between my trips and his experiments, we found time for dates. Then he accepted a job at Coca-Cola and promptly ran off to Cancún. I had a trip planned out west that overlapped with his return, and, tired of being apart, I invited him along. Because that’s what every new couple does, right? Throw themselves into extreme adventure travel? That trip was our first big test. We tubed on a lake, rappelled down a waterfall, went rafting, and he met my best friends. Somewhere between the adrenaline rushes and the late-night laughs, I realized I’d found the guy crazy enough to keep up with me. Adventures Together Since then, our travels have been a mix of epic and everyday. We’ve become Disney pros (yes, we’re those people who are way too good at drinking around the world), but we’ve also explored New York, Mexico, Tennessee, Alabama, Boston, and the beaches of Florida. Every trip taught me something new about Kerrigan that I adore. His easygoing nature showed me how to enjoy quiet moments on the road. He taught me how to sit still and just breathe—no small task for me. The biggest challenge, though, wasn’t a trip. Kerrigan got upgraded to full-time emotional support human when I went back to school for nursing. He was my calm when I was stressed, my pep talk when I was exhausted, and my snack runner when I refused to get off the couch. Basically, he deserves an honorary nursing degree, too. The Proposal When it came time to celebrate a new chapter, we escaped to Woodstock, Vermont—the most Hallmark-movie town you can imagine. Snow was falling, people were sipping craft beer (Kerrigan was thrilled, I politely pretended to care), and right there, he got down on one knee. He pulled out the perfect ring, set in my mom’s original gold band, and for the first time in my life…I had nothing to say. So full of joy and love, all I could do was nod, smile, and cry. What’s Next Now here we are. We cannot wait to celebrate with all of you--the people who’ve shaped us, supported us, and, in some cases, put up with us. Thank you for making us who we are today. Let’s eat, drink, dance, and kick off the start of our greatest adventure yet.