Alex and David’s story began how all great modern romances do—with a swipe. On July 12, 2014, David was stationed in El Paso, and Alex was just cruising through on her way to Durango, Colorado. They matched, they messaged, and somehow kept the conversation going for over a year and a half without ever meeting face to face. Slow and steady might not win every race, but in their case, it definitely won the day. Their long-distance connection finally became real in November 2015, when David flew to College Station to be Alex’s date for her ADPi sorority formal. The weekend went so well it felt like catching up with someone you’d already known forever. They made it official a year later, and somewhere along the way discovered a fun coincidence: both had ties to Qatar—Alex lived there for 15 years, and David had been deployed there with the Army before they ever met. Small world. The proposal? Well, it took some work. Plan A was derailed by tornado warnings during a family camping trip in Missouri. Plan B was a mountain hike that tested everyone’s patience (and legs). Plan C was a winery visit shut down early due to more storms. But Plan D? That one finally worked. On August 23, 2024, after dinner in downtown Durango, David got down on one knee outside the General Palmer Hotel—the very place he stayed the first time he ever visited Durango with Alex. Fourth time’s the charm.