I never would have thought that I would meet the love of my life in a biker bar but that is exactly what happened. I had met a friend for drinks after work one day and she surprised me by inviting her new roommate to join us. Fast forward two odd years and I get the honor of marrying that roommate.

On my 27th birthday we rented a cabin in the middle of nowhere. All I wanted was to escape my hectic day to day and "unplug". We drove and drove and drove to Mendocino National Forest trying to find our obscure cabin before the sun set. Needless to say signage wasn't the best in the middle of nowhere and we got lost. We drove 20 miles up a mountain, on an unpaved dirt road in a 2 wheel drive car, with more than one close encounter with the cliffs edge. We finally made it to the cabin, safely, and only after speaking with our host did we realize the magnitude of our adventure, evident in the look of mixed shock and horror on her face. But we made it and I would bet our relationship is a little bit stronger because of it.

On our second date, Steven made me homemade fried pickles. Little did he know, they are my favorite. From that first bite, I knew he was a keeper. The saying is true, the way to the heart is through the stomach.