Brien and Erin met online in late 2011 and on what felt like a regular November evening they had their first date. Over the next few years, they enjoyed traveling around the southeast, cooking, and movie nights together. In 2013, Brien was ordered to report for duty in Anchorage, Alaska. Erin flew to Portland to meet Brien and his mother, Kathy, on his drive north. They stayed in touch for a while after his move but eventually lost touch as the years passed. Nine years later, in January 2024, Brien messaged Erin on a whim. They quickly discovered that they both never stopped thinking of each other, loving them across time and distance. What started as a short text turned into a year of back and forth travel between South Carolina and Belgium. Then in November 2024, Brien asked Erin to marry him at his family's Thanksgiving celebration. Erin moved to join Brien in Belgium in June of this year and the two have been enjoying life together, the local cuisine, and exploring Europe together.