Our journey began with a swipe and a surprisingly fun few weeks of digital conversation. After a few weeks of texting back and forth, we finally met in person at The Local in Valencia. It was a meeting of two different worlds: a Nebraska girl with a heart for adventure and a Welsh man who had called California home for over two decades. Because Ricki’s sign language was limited to “sea turtle” at the time, we spent the night passing our phones back and forth, sharing stories and laughter one typed sentence at a time. While sitting by the fountain that night, we found ourselves captivated by a single rubber duck floating in the fountain, an unexpected mascot that sparked a five-year (and counting!) obsession with all things duck. We’ve come a long way since that first fountain conversation, and we are so excited to continue our adventure together as husband and wife.