We met the modern way—on a dating app—but quickly realized we had been living parallel lives all along, working just a few miles apart on the same street, going to CSUN at the same time. Close enough to cross paths, but apparently waiting for the algorithm to step in. When Kyle showed up for the first date —leaning against his truck in a plaid shirt, hands in his pockets—it was one of those oh no moments for Ashley. The kind where you immediately think, “I’m in trouble.” (And not the bad kind.)

Our first date started with Kyle braving the 405 to visit a brewery that happened to have his favorite beer (priorities), so he could fill his growler. One brewery turned into two… then three… spanning LA to the Valley, before we finally remembered food was necessary. Somewhere between the traffic, the hops, and the hours flying by, it became pretty clear this wasn’t just a good first date—it was the start of something. About two weeks in, we both quietly realized the same thing: this felt different. Easy in a way that’s hard to explain, like slipping into something familiar. It felt like home. Like we had known each other far longer than we actually had.

Seven years later (plus a couple days, for good measure), that feeling hadn’t changed. Shortly after buying our home in Los Osos, we set out one Saturday morning and walked to the beach. With the typical Osos fog rolling over the water, we set up a little beach moment: shade, snacks, and the kind of quiet that makes you forget everything else. Then, as we walked closer to the water, Kyle asked THE question. In that moment, it felt both entirely new and completely inevitable—like something we had known all along was waiting for us. From a dating app, to LA brewery marathons, to a home by the coast—it all led exactly where it was supposed to. With jobs we love, a home we dreamed about, and our beloved pets, we’ve built a life that already feels like the best part.