Garrett and I met ONLINE through Christian Mingle. I was in my first year in college and he was hundreds of miles away in Virginia. We were talking for probably two weeks when he decided to make a trip to come visit and go on a real date. We went to the zoo and Chilis - which is still one of our favorite spots to share a 2 for $25 with a skillet cookie. (We actually still have the little side dish that my ranch came in because he wanted to make sure I had enough for left overs - Sorry Lexington Chilis) For almost three years, Garrett and I did long distance. He would make the drive from Virginia to Columbia for a WEEKEND trip. That's over 12 hours of driving, and he never complained about it once. In the middle of our dating, Garrett changed jobs. That job allowed him to eventually be transferred to the Upstate. This meant that our long distance relationship finally ended because he would only be an hour and a half away now. When it came time to apply for jobs, I knew that I wanted to be in the Upstate because he made the move down here. I accepted a position in Greenville, and Garrett bought a house that is almost directly halfway between my school and his work.

Originally May 2 was supposed to be my graduation date, but it was pushed back to August because of the coronavirus. The day started with both of us watching my online commencement ceremony. I knew that I wanted to take at least one graduation picture to celebrate, so I started getting ready. We went outside in his backyard to take my graduation pictures and took a handful when Garrett suggested we go out on the dock to get the "best lighting and background." I had my back to him for a picture and when he said "I got it," I turned around and he was down on one knee. What followed next was a whole lot of tears and of course, a YES!