These days, you often hear how challenging it can be to get out and meet people. Modern problems require modern solutions! Enter Match.com where Adam saw Colleen and made an account just to talk to her. His feelings are summarized by what he texted his best friend Brian after finding her: “It’s unreal how you can pick someone out like that. Just looking through hundreds/thousands of girls on there…The only one I actually wanted to talk to was her.” Adam very quickly bet the farm on Colleen. This is explained in another text to Brian: “If I don’t end up dating this girl from Match, I am never using another dating app.” A few days later this had progressed to “100% marrying her.” Colleen also saw something immensely special in Adam right away. One of her strict online dating rules was that at least one grammatically correct paragraph (preferably more) had to be included in the intro for someone to be considered an option. She bent the rules for Adam though, who didn't have an intro, and laughed at his promise to woo her with frozen peas (one of her favorite snacks). Adam and Colleen felt like instant soul mates and were dating in less than a month!

Skywriting? The kiss cam at the big game? The middle of the mall? All horrible options for two introverts! Adam knew that Colleen would want to be proposed to in private. Adam and Colleen often take day trips to Carolina Beach, so Adam planned a seemingly ordinary beach trip in late April 2023. As usual, he drove his Jeep down the Fort Fisher beach and they set up for the day. The morning went on as usual with a nice breakfast and plenty of relaxing. In the afternoon, the clouds blew in and it got a little cold to be sitting around. Adam asked Colleen, “Why don’t we take a walk down the rest of the beach to warm up?”. What a great idea! The two set off down the beach and soon were on a deserted stretch called Bay Beach. Adam gave Colleen a hug from behind and with his arms wrapped around her, took out his phone. He looked at the GPS map and said, “So it’s 3:30 and we are about two miles from Bald Head Island. I have a proposal.” “Ok?” Colleen asked inquisitively. What could this proposal be? Possibly to walk all the way to the end? Time to head back for dinner? Adam asked, “How about we get married?”. Colleen was caught off-guard and turned around after a few seconds to say, "That would be-” before Adam interrupted, “WAIT, not yet!”. Then, after a more lengthy proposal, Adam knelt down and produced a ring from his pocket. He explained that the ring was his family's heirloom from 1940, which was worn by his grandma and mother. It was carefully restored back to its original condition and resized for the newest proposed addition to the family. Colleen joyfully accepted his proposal and the two sat down on the beach to talk about the new exciting chapter they were embarking on together!