Some of the greatest things in life are found in unexpected places. In our case, we met online. She was from Dayton, OH and I was from Detroit, MI. Neither of us had experience with online dating and didn't know what to expect — especially long-distance! To our surprise, we'd soon learn the blessing that online dating would be. This set a strong foundation for communication, and cultivated a relationship built on commitment and patience. We finally met in person after a month of exchanging text messages, phone calls, and Facetime dates. And began our dating relationship just a couple weeks later. A journey worth every mile.

We always told ourselves "one day, one week, one month at a time" — and we did just that. Come April we would finally bridge the gap. I took a job in Dayton, OH and moved in with Makaila and her family. We made plans to go visit my Mom on Mother's Day weekend. I planned on getting up to see the sunrise on Belle Isle that next morning. This place was special to us. Belle Isle is where I asked her to be my girlfriend, and this is where I'd ask her to marry me. We woke up at 5am and stopped for coffee and donuts on the way. After getting to Belle Isle we walked down a muddy path to the far east end of the island. As Makaila was taking pictures I got down on one knee and waited for her to turn around and ask "Makaila, will you marry me?". Every day, every weekend, every month lead to this moment and would make it all worth it.