WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!

John and Alyson’s love story began in the spring of 2023, when their paths crossed aboard the Tall Ship Elissa in Galveston. As a Christmas gift, Alyson had surprised her dad with tickets for the Elissa’s spring sailing season in April. On the day of their sail, Alyson—who had never been on a sailboat before, let alone a square-rigged tall ship—met John. It was a beautiful day on the water, and neither of them could have imagined that a simple conversation about Galveston and real estate would change their lives forever. After John’s sailing season ended in Galveston, the two kept in touch and quickly discovered how much they had in common. They bonded over their shared love of history, the ocean, travel, architecture, design, music, food, and being surrounded by great company. By that fall, John invited Alyson to join him on a sailing trip while he was working as Captain of the Sea Cloud, a historic, square-rigged passenger yacht cruising the Mediterranean. What started as a 10-day voyage from Genoa, Italy to Málaga, Spain turned into a 20-day adventure when Alyson stayed for another leg of the journey at John’s request, ending in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Not long after she returned home, John asked if she would join him again—this time for the Atlantic crossing from Las Palmas to Sint Maarten in the Caribbean. She left the day after Thanksgiving to meet him. They spent 17 unforgettable days at sea together, crossing the ocean and realizing that what had started as a chance meeting was quickly becoming something extraordinary. With just 10 days before Christmas, John’s sailing contract came to a close, and the two returned back to the States. Alyson spent Christmas with John at his home in Nisswa, Minnesota. They rang in the New Year and weathered seasonal sicknesses together, celebrated friends’ and family members’ weddings, took a major road trip from Minnesota to Texas, and shared the moments of everyday life and caring for one another. It was during this time that John and Alyson knew they wanted to build a life together. Since then, life has continued to unfold and there have been many life changes that have taken place. In the spring of 2024, John and Alyson bought a home together and began renovating. John accepted a new land-based role as Captain of oil response vessels on Galveston Island, and in March of this year John asked Alyson to marry him. John and Alyson are excited about their life together and experiencing domestic adventures on land. They’re beginning to dream, and plan ways that they can have future sailing adventures with John as the Captain of his own boat, and the destinations planned by the two of them. John and Alyson are looking forward to celebrating their wedding day surrounded by friends and family, and are excited about the next chapters to come in their love story!