I was 19 with a freshly buzzed head when I visited Vashon Island for the first time to see a friend from Bellingham who was spending the summer at home. We ended up at her friends boyfriends house, where I took a photo holding his dog, and we followed each other on Instagram. Neither of us had any idea we had met our future spouse. In December of 2019, I was doing my monthly cinnamon roll bake (those who occupied and visited the house on Myrtle Street are familiar) and posted a photo of them on Instagram. Who should reply to my story but this same boy I met three years before, now single, who happened to be a baker at Snapdragon on Vashon. We got to talking about baking, and then about many other things, and ended up talking everyday. A few weeks into our courtship, Zach flew to Ireland with other Snapdragon staff to celebrate the owners' birthdays. While overseas, he got me a sweater and collected a box of rocks and shells from the beaches there. He then let me know I had no choice but to get dinner with him so he could give me these trinkets, and as I enjoy these crow like symbols of affection, I accepted. We met for dinner at the Pho Than Brothers in West Seattle, which has since been shuttered and turned into a dispensary. He arrived late, panting, and dripping wet with the cold January rain. He had walked onto the ferry over from Vashon Island, but once aboard, realized he had left his wallet on the other side. He convinced someone to pay his fee so he could make the return journey, fetch the wallet, get back on the boat, and take the C bus to meet me. To make matters worse, his phone had been unusable off of WiFi ever since his return from Ireland, and was unable to contact me to let me know of his delay. Luckily for the both of us, I am patient. And I also was running late. We ordered our pho, which quickly turned cold and inedible as we were both too nervous and excited to eat. I was helping a friend dog sit that night and kept texting her to delay my arrival (sorry, Sera), but we decided to extend the date further and walk off the meal that neither of us ate. It was time for me to leave, and Zach walked me to my car. In an out of character burst of bravery, I kissed him. In a not out of character burst of excitement, Zach let out a whoop of elation and pumped both fists in the air. He then proceeded to get a nosebleed and bled all over my jean jacket. Things moved quickly after that. We moved in together only 5 months later, to the horror of my older sister who immediately drove up from California to vet the guy I had moved in with without her permission. Upon meeting Zach she realized he was no threat, and gave her blessing. Since then we have gone on so many journeys together in Washington as well as in California and Oregon, along with Bean, the little dog I met my first trip to Vashon, and Marmalade, the big dog Zach and my friends got me for my 23rd birthday. Our biggest adventure has been our month long road trip to Alaska, where we drove across Washington, Idaho, Calgary, Alberta, Yukon, Alaska, and British Columbia and slept in the trunk of my Outback with the dogs. We realized that if we could survive a month trapped in a car together without wanting to kill each other we should probably get married, and Zach proposed 6 months later on a trip to Hawaii, in the park next to his childhood home in Diamond head. Long story short, don't cut out sugar. It might help you find your husband.