When Sam first reached out to Ava, hoping to land a first date, Ava accidentally left his witty and creative opening message unread for two weeks. By the time she finally saw it, Sam had almost given up, convinced that this mysterious, beautiful dark-haired woman wasn’t interested. Eventually, they connected and had their first date in Portland. The chemistry was immediate, and they talked for hours. Eager to keep the connection going, they quickly scheduled a second date. But after their third date, Sam dropped a bombshell: he was moving to Tucson, Arizona in two weeks. Though they had only known each other for a short while, Sam felt something special and wanted to keep exploring it. Ava, on the other hand, accepted the reality that they'd had a great time together, but that their chapter might be closing after just three dates. Before Sam left Portland, they came up with a plan: They'd continue getting to know each other over the next six weeks, and if it was meant to be, they'd meet in New Orleans. If not, at least they'd have fun memories of their brief time together. Over the next month and a half, Sam and Ava couldn't stop texting, calling, and FaceTiming for hours on end. When the time came, they both boarded flights to New Orleans. It was happening. It felt as if no time had passed when the two met in the Big Easy. Ava discovered Sam was the type of guy who’d jump at any chance for a spontaneous trip, and Sam realized Ava was a woman who loved to experience new adventures. It was a perfect match—made for travel rewards programs everywhere. By the end of the weekend, they both agreed that a long-distance relationship was worth a shot. Sam and Ava made long-distance dating work with two simple rules: they had to see each other at least once a month, even if it was just for a weekend, and the distance had to end after one year. During that year, they explored three corners of the U.S., traveled to six National Parks, and visited numerous beaches and mountains. When the year came to an end, Ava and her cat, Selina Kyle, packed up their Portland apartment and moved into Sam’s house in Tucson. Seven months, and over a hundred cactus photos later, the trio relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, where they still call home today.