One warm December night in Petaluma, California, Zach was having a casual drink with a friend. They had planned to set up a Christmas tree later, but two women traveling from Alaska interrupted their mellow evening - they were looking to dance. Being the gentleman that he is, Zach offered to give them a tour of the town, which ended with dancing at a bar called the Roaring Donkey. Meanwhile, Angela was having dinner with her nine-month pregnant sister, and also looking to dance. Realizing that dancing was unlikely with current company, she reached out to Zach, who she had recently matched with. They agreed to meet at the Roaring Donkey. In walks Angela, and Zach, spotting her red hair, makes a B-Line. “Here’s the situation…” he begins, explaining why the two women tearing up the dance floor were under his care - they had overindulged. Unphased, Angela ordered them drinks and joined the dancing. The four of us had a great night of drinks, dancing and tacos, The next day, we (Angela and Zach only) got brunch and spent the day learning more about each other. We didn’t see each other for two weeks, until after Angela’s nephew was born. After that, we began spending more and more time together. Unable to travel home for the holidays, Zach thought it would be festive to take Angela to see some Christmas lights (now a holiday tradition). Not wanting Zach to be alone on Christmas, Angela invited him to her family’s celebration…. Long story short, Zach met Angela’s mom and brother on the third date. This was the beginning of a month of hiking, dinners, and deep conversation about life, love, and whether or not oysters are actually edible. Since then, we have navigated love across different states, time zones, and careers. We bought our first house together in Appleton, WI in February 2020, giving us the opportunity to build a home together. On July 11, 2021 we decided to do the rest of life together, and got engaged.