We met at Atwater Beach on Lake Michigan a few weeks before our first year of medical school started. Not knowing any of our future classmates, plans were made in our class group chat to meet up at the beach to get to know each other. Chris says he tried to talk to Laura at the beach but she was having none of it! He said, "I saw you were in Banff, how was that?" According to Chris, Laura just said "good" and kept moving. However, when Laura forgot about her alcohol tolerance and accidentally had one too many white claws at the beach, she could not resist his offer for a Jeep ride home. Over the 20 minute drive home, we talked and laughed like we'd known each other forever. We talked about food, music, bad jokes, and our hometowns. After Chris dropped her off, he slid into her GroupMe DM's. He used his newfound intel on her music taste to casually put out there he's going to a Jason Aldean concert and ask if she wanted to go too. Turns out she couldn't resist a country concert either, and this was our first outing that lead to our great love story. <3

It was a cold March day in Milwaukee when Laura and I booked a trip to Kauai in June to celebrate finishing our first board exam. What she didn’t know was that I’d been planning to propose there for weeks. I’d spent hours researching the perfect location, photographer, and florist to make everything unforgettable. The ring had already been made, and my parents in Florida were holding onto it until June, when my mom would bring it to town to help us move in together. Little did I know, during the move, Laura nearly found the ring box hidden inside a hockey visor box when she opened an identical box by mistake. Just thinking about it still gives me heart palpitations. When the day to propose arrived in Hawaii, I left a wooden postcard on her bedside table with a note: "I have something special planned for us tonight and it would be the perfect occasion to wear your new white dress." Laura was probably onto me, given that we had spent hours the week before picking out the perfect dress at Altar’d State. The morning of the proposal, she spent ages getting ready, locking me out of the room. When I finally saw her, she looked stunning. I replayed my proposal speech over and over in my head in the car on the way to Tunnels Beach. When we arrived at the beach, the scenery took my breath away, and I completely forgot what I wanted to say. The flower circle I’d arranged was perfect. I set down my bag next to our hidden photographer, grabbed the ring box out of it, and led Laura into the circle. I forgot everything I had planned, but spoke from the heart as I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She said yes, and I’ll never forget the joy of that moment.

I can't lie, I was pretty suspicious from the moment Chris announced on a random weekday that he was thinking we book a trip to Kauai after our boards. He mentioned that his parents offered us their timeshare, so it would be a great deal and a gorgeous location. Usually, when we book a trip, it involves weeks of discussion about where to go and when. His premeditated date, location, and place to stay had me suspicious and excited, especially since he knew my dream proposal would be on a tropical island. As we got closer to the trip, I started to sniff more and more suspicious behavior. One of the most memorable was when I got MAD accusations for going in our closet one day. We had both been working really hard to get our place organized after the move and one day he comes home and demands to know if I went in our closet. I was like "Um yeah? I was organizing, didn't you see how neat it looks?" He wouldn't let it go, continuously asking if I looked in the safe or touched anything I wasn't supposed to. I figured there must be a ring in there somewhere but had not actually found it. I wouldn't have suspected anything if it weren't for the interrogation! One of my favorite things about Chris is how transparent he is and his inability to stray too far from the truth. My suspicions were repeatedly confirmed by cute little comments he would make not knowing he was selling himself out. On the day of the proposal, my spidey senses were confirmed when I got his note! It was written on an adorable wooden postcard I had pointed out while shopping the previous day. I had no idea he had sneakily bought it which made it such a perfect touch. Getting ready was stressful that day. My magnetic eyelashes I was trying for the first time were acting a fool, I kept thinking of steps I had forgotten, and I'm pretty sure I ended up leaving without my contour!! The moment I stepped onto that beach though, none of that mattered. My jaw was on the floor when I saw the stunning teal ocean surrounded by beach and mountains. When we got into the circle, he said, "Two years ago today, I met you on a beach, and I've been obsessed with you ever since." Then asked me to marry him! I loved how simple and genuine it was. I will remember that day forever, not just for how gorgeous it was, but because it is my favorite example of Chris' love, sincerity, and the way he makes all my dreams come true.