Our story begins with a date that took a little time to actually happen. Austin had been trying to plan a meet‑up for a while, and his original idea was to go ice skating at Campus Martius. What he didn’t know was that Barb kept canceling because she was secretly terrified of ice skating, not because she didn’t want to meet him. After several attempts—and Austin adjusting his plans to make Barb feel comfortable— We met up at his place in Downtown Detroit. From that very first day, something just clicked. We started spending almost every weekend together because being around each other felt easy, fun, and natural.

Some of our favorite early memories include grabbing tacos at Condado, hanging out at The Union, and Austin showing up to cheer Barb on at her swim meets, even though he didn’t really know much about swimming. Those small, sweet moments grew into something big, real, and incredibly special. And the rest… well, you’re here celebrating it with us.

On January 31, 2026, Austin planned a surprise that Barb never saw coming. What she thought was an anesthesia event turned into a night that changed everything. Austin brought her to The Highlands in Detroit, 71 floors above the city that first brought us together and witnessed so many of our earliest dates. With the skyline glowing beneath them and the moment finally here, nerves took over. Austin completely blacked out and forgot to officially ask Barb in front of the beautiful display our friends had lovingly worked so hard to organize. Instead, he spoke straight from the heart. His words were sincere, emotional, and perfect—so perfect, in fact, that he may not remember a single one of them now. Surrounded by breathtaking views and a place filled with meaning, the moment unfolded exactly as it was meant to. It was intimate, genuine, and deeply romantic. Austin couldn’t have done it better, and Barb loved every single minute of it.

Our first trip together was to Chicago in early 2024. It was a little chilly, but we had so much fun exploring the city, eating good food, and realizing that traveling together felt completely natural. Later that same year, we took a much bigger adventure—our first trip to Colombia together. Austin met Barb’s parents, close family, and her dog Oliver for the very first time. He used every Spanish word he could remember from high school (and created a few hilarious memories in the process). We have many funny stories from that trip, so please feel free to ask us about them during the dinner reception! Winter came with even more travel: Austin drove to Holland, Michigan to watch Barb compete at her GLIACs conference meet. And not only that—just a month later, he brought his mom Karen to Indiana so they could cheer Barb on at her Nationals meet. Their support meant the world. Our next big adventure didn’t come until October 2025, when we returned to Colombia for the second time. We made unforgettable memories—spending time with Barb’s family, watching whales, and enjoying plenty of delicious Colombian food. We can’t wait to see where our next adventure takes us!