Spring Break 2015 We met on the beach while Catalina was attending Mississippi State University and John was in his final semester at Wake Forest. We felt an immediate connection and realized how much we had in common! We were nervous leaving the beach at the end of our trip because we both felt that spark but weren't sure what it meant because we lived so far apart.

April 4, 2015 We texted constantly after we left the beach and decided that we had to have a proper date in Chattanooga, which was halfway between where each of us were for Easter. We went to the aquarium, walked around the city, and realized that the spark we felt at the beach had only gotten stronger. We took the plunge and decided to give it a shot at a long distance relationship. Little did we know that we would be long distance for five years!

March 5, 2020 We spent a week at a resort in Mexico during Catalina's spring break. We went on a walk along the beach before our reservation one night. John and Catalina went the length of the beachfront for our resort and the neighboring one, then into a quiet stretch of beach. We looked out on the water and the stars and took in the moment. We then walked into a beautiful gazebo on the water, where John made a joke about being back in a tourist trap and got on one knee. Catalina said yes!

John and Catalina live in Knoxville with their two dogs, Davy and Dolly. John is a medical devices sales representative for Johnson & Johnson. Catalina is an attorney at Ritchie, Davies, Johnson, & Stovall.