We're eloping!

Asheville has always been one of those places I've dreamed of visiting. As soon as I realized I wanted to marry Stephanie (which was almost right away), I started to plant a little seed about eloping to Asheville someday - thankfully, she was onboard! While neither of us has ever visited Asheville before, it just seems like a place that is right up our alley - beautiful scenery, outdoor activities galore, craft beer microbreweries, live music everywhere, and a touch of a hippie vibe. We're so excited!

Steph and I both work at Ochsner St. Mary in Morgan City; she's a nurse and director of ICU, and I work on the Behavioral Health Unit. While we worked in the same hospital for the past several years, we had never really met … with the exception of brief encounters in the ICU when I was seeing patients on her floor. Full disclosure - I thought she looked a little bit mean, haha, and it turns out she's the nicest person I know! Well, in spring 2019, a new friend of mine Brooke Landry invited me to hang out on Mardi Gras Day "to go on an adventure" … you never know what you're going to get into when you say yes to an adventure with Brooke! :) When I arrived at Brooke's house, she introduced me to one of her best friends Stephanie. We spent the day moving furniture, driving around town, and sipping margaritas by the bayou. Brooke then suggested that we take a ride in the boat to go "turtle searching." We ended up taking a turn into the trees and making a path thru the swamp by getting out in our waders and walking the boat over cypress knees, fallen trees, and the like. We were lost in the swamp for probably three hours, and it was beautiful! We had a blast laughing at ourselves and finding our way back to open water. Along the way, I couldn't help but take notice of this new girl Steph - there was just something special about her that stood out to me. We ended the day with a 4wheeler ride, chicken sandwiches, popsicles, and even more laughs … and as the saying goes, the rest is history! This day was so outside of what I'd usually be doing to celebrate Mardi Gras, but I still recall it as one of the best, most fun days I've ever had.