For our first date, we kept it simple and met in Washington, Missouri for a walk along the riverfront. What was supposed to be a casual stroll turned into wandering through little shops, talking for hours, and realizing neither of us wanted the night to end. Not long after, we took on long distance while Michael was in school in Springfield. Spending weekends on the road, counting down the days until the next visit, and proving that what we had was worth every mile. The proposal brought everything full circle, at the very beginning of the Missouri River in Helena, Montana, with the mountains in the background and a view we’ll never forget. The same river that was there at the start of our story was there again when we decided on forever.