Flashback to May 2020. Austin was working a "remote" job for his company in Port Angeles, WA, living his best bachelor life, growing his beard and taking advantage of all the outdoor activities the Olympic Peninsula had to offer (that were open at the time). Kylie was finishing up her contract in Vail, CO, and took a travel nurse contract in Port Angeles, WA. It turned out her friends from high school had a friend living in Port Angeles, and "you guys should be friends". Kylie got Austin's contact information before she started her drive west, where then Austin offered his place to crash for a weekend when she got into town. Kylie arrives to Port Angeles, knocks on the door of Austin's rental house, hands him a case of beer, and promptly asks to use the restroom. At the end of the weekend, after Kylie had passively looked for other housing opportunities, Austin offered up one of his spare rooms to her. Kylie agreed. The two spent the summer taking advantage of Austin having Friday's off of work and taking out his boat on Lake Crescent, getting takeout breakfast from the Lake Crescent Lodge, going up to Hurricane Ridge to take in the view or go for a hike, and even tried out a weekend backpacking. All while becoming close friends. Yup, thats it. Just friends! It wasn't until late August before Kylie was set to drive to Portland, fly to Minnesota, and then back to Portland to embark on a hot spring filled, mountain view journey back to Vail that the two became more than friends. Austin wanted to celebrate Kylie's last weekend on the Peninsula with a backpacking trip into the Olympics to Cedar Lake. And Kylie was nervous. They set out after Austin finished work on Thursday evening, camped on the valley floor by the river and then Friday made it the rest of the way to Cedar Lake. Austin spent the most of the day fishing, Kylie reading, and by the late afternoon decided to bring dinner up to the ridgeline above lake to have wine and watch the alpine glow as the sun set. Before heading back down to camp, Kylie, standing close to Austin, looks at him and says "I've had the best summer getting to know you". In turn, Austin gives Kylie a side hug and says "you too". Not the outcome Kylie was hoping for to say the least. Legend has it Kylie made the first move, others say the opposite. Austin and Kylie made the decision to officially become a couple in October 2020, and did over six months of long distance before Kylie moved to the greater Seattle area to reunite. They spent about two and a half years in the Seattle area in total, but also took the summer of 2022 off of work to travel around the west and see some of the most beautiful wilderness areas. Fast forward two plus years to the proposal in July 2023. Kylie, Austin, and their pup Cedar set out on a backpack in the Goat Rocks Wilderness Area of Washington with Kylie's little brother Kevin, and his partner Gracie. On Sunday after leaving camp, the group set out to finish the loop and went up to an overlook. Kylie, Kevin, and Gracie all dropped their heavy packs, while Austin decided he was going to carry his all the way up (hint hint). When it was Kylie and Austin's turn to take their photo at the viewpoint, Austin knelt down, pulled a ring box out of his pocket, and asked Kylie to take her hand in marriage. Of course, Kylie said yes. And despite not knowing this was happening, Kevin and Gracie nailed the photo and video taking and they all celebrated with a small bottle of bubbly and macaroons. As Kylie said after, "I didn't even think Austin had a ring" and had no idea it was happening. It was, according to Kylie, the perfect proposal. Austin and Kylie spent the rest of summer and early fall in Washington in celebration before moving to Minnesota, and buying their first home together. Next stop, Wedding Day!