Surprise, we eloped in Vegas!

We met in high school and quickly became the most unlikely of friends. Antonio was a jokester, friend to everyone, and Aryn was more quiet and reserved, with a smaller, more close-knit group. We grew close in Mr. Schiebenes' class where Antonio liked to use schoolwork as an excuse to bother Aryn. We even sat by each other on the bus ride back from seeing Hamilton, Antonio was blasting songs like Baby by Justin Bieber and Sweatshirt by Jacob Sartorius (Aryn wasn't complaining). High school had to end eventually though, so in 2017 we graduated together, and went on our own life paths.

Leading our new "adult" lives, we were still there for one another. Snapchat messages would be exchanged to talk about life's highs, lows, and everything in between. On a random summer night in 2018, Antonio made a public Snap asking if anyone wanted to hang out. Aryn, inexplicably drawn to this, responded, and Antonio came right over. Though we wouldn't yet admit it, the second Aryn got in Antonio's car, sparks flew, and Cupid struck the both of us. From that night forward, we found every excuse to see one another, getting slushies, eating Ian's, exploring Northridge, cruising. We spent the summer together, then the fall, and the winter.

On Christmas Day of 2018, Antonio asked Aryn to be his girlfriend - of course the answer was yes. From there, our love for one another continued to grow, as we explored life together. Not even a month into dating, we took a train to Massachusetts, where we saw Antonio's extended family. We also found ourselves frequenting the Greyhound for day trips to Chicago. Little did we know, our biggest adventure was just around the corner.

We were having an average day, working the night shift at Amazon, when Antonio found Aryn and hatched a crazy idea. What if we left? Not just Amazon, but Wisconsin. At first it sounded insane, but hey, YOLO, right? We left work, packed a couple backpacks, put 'em in the car, and we were off. Where to? I dunno, California? Heading West, we saw beautiful scenery, as well as iconic landmarks like the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Loveland Pass, the Las Vegas Strip, Santa Monica Pier, the Golden Gate Bridge, and even more. We may have been living off of Taco Bell's value menu and had a tire or two blow up, but we'd say it was worth it.

The road trip was fun and California was cool, but we started running out of money, this was no time to lead a nomadic lifestyle. We were faced with a choice, go back to the place we'd called home our entire lives, or try something new. On a high from our trip together, we chose the latter. Where we wanted to settle down was up for debate, though. When asked, Aryn mentioned that Oregon had always been a place of interest, so to Oregon we went. We really fell in love with everything the PNW had to offer, it had the city, which Antonio loved, and gorgeous woods and beaches, which we both were drawn to. It didn't take long before we decided that was where we wanted to stay.

We put on our big kids pants and did what we had to do, we got jobs through a temp agency, saved up, and applied for our first apartment. We were pretty shocked when they actually accepted us, but weren't going to question it - being technically homeless was getting a bit old. We slept on an air mattress on the floor, had no couch or TV, and got two sets of dinnerware from Dollar Tree, we definitely weren't living luxuriously. It didn't matter though, 'cause we had each other and we could build up from there. Once we got more settled in and added actual furniture, things felt a little lonely. We went to a pet store and found the cutest baby beta fish, we named him Riot. Shortly after, we decided to "just go look" at animals at the Humane Society - we all know what that really means. That day we came home with a little kitty who we named Stardust. Things finally felt more complete for us, and we honestly had our hands full. We were working full-time, exploring nature and the city, getting tattoos and piercings, taking care of our home and animals, and trying exciting new food spots.

Our first apartment suited our needs until it didn't, when our lease ran out in 2020, we decided it was time for an upgrade. Our second apartment was much nicer, and we were excited for all the new things that came with it - this one really felt like we were living in luxury. Taking this step to improve our lives, we were ready for something else, a second kitty. We scoured the Humane Society website for weeks, trying to find our next baby. One day, a little tabby with a flower around her neck came across Aryn's phone screen, Juliette. We immediately booked a visit, and it's safe to say that she came home with us and got a snazzy new name - Starlight.

Living in Portland brought so much fun, excitement, and growth, even if we weren't there for long. In late 2020, it really felt like life was going against us. Covid had impacted everything, the cost of living was beginning to shoot up, wildfires were taking over the West Coast, and it was becoming glaringly obvious that Aryn was dealing with some severe health issues. We knew when it was time for us to go. With some of our savings, we were able to buy a bus, which we had dreams of turning into a home to experience "van life" with in the future (but as we were beginning to learn, life has plans of it's own). We ended our lease, loaded up our bus, and headed back to the Midwest.

As sad as we were leaving our life in Oregon, we had to admit that it felt a little nice to be back where we'd grown up. We were able to see family and friends, eat at places we were missing, and visit places we held closely in our hearts. Antonio decided to start a career, in hopes we could build a more stable life. Aryn worked too, but this was also a time to start taking the health issues that had been developing more seriously. 2020 to 2023 focused a lot on bettering ourselves and our lives, but also finding enjoyment when we could, going to things like Anime Milwaukee, State Fair, and the Renaissance Faire from time to time.

Late 2023, we were ready to get back to growing a life together. We decided to move into our third apartment, this one had a spare bedroom! Before we even moved in, we knew what we had to do, make the epic gaming room of our dreams. We literally bought and built our PCs before we got a couch. After getting all settled in, we were itching to get back to traveling! We planned a couple trips, one to Denver, Colorado, and another for an extended weekend in Chicago. Making memories and prioritizing time together, we somehow fell even deeper in love.

2024 was a time to grow our life and family even more. It all started when Aryn fell in love with a teeny kitten, who inevitably came home with us, and eventually was given the name Supernova. Stardust and Starlight were unsure at first, but quickly came around to loving their baby sister. Things felt perfect, and I guess that really explains what happens next. On November 1st, 2024, Antonio made the big move of getting down on a knee and asking Aryn to marry him (and with quite the rock might I add). It was an easy, obvious yes. After taking time to celebrate our engagement came the (maybe not so) fun part, wedding planning! Early into planning, we realized that a traditional wedding just wasn't us or what we wanted to spend our time, energy, and money on. Then a sneaky little idea creeped into our heads...Vegas?