Liz and Nick’s love story is a tapestry woven with threads of fate, adventure, and a dash of modern-day matchmaking magic...beginning in 2023 and leading to their engagement in San Diego in 2025. Nick had just graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2021 and was in primary flight school in Pensacola, Florida. Liz, meanwhile, was completing her bachelor’s degree in marine biology at the University of West Florida. Then, at the start of the new year in January 2023, the universe and none other than the most unexpected of cupids… HINGE!—decided it was time. One winter evening in Pensacola, Liz was out with friends at the iconic Seville Quarter when Nick sent her a message. That very night, over an impromptu plan, Nick cut his current dinner date short to meet her at Sonic. Under the soft, yet creepy glow of the midnight neon lights, they shared a late-night soda until Sonic closed. This was the humble beginning of something extraordinary. The night carried them into the early hours, talking in Liz’s apartment, trading life stories, and dancing in the kitchen. Their connection was instant, undeniable… and just a little bit sponsored by an app. From that moment, they were inseparable. Cruising scenic backroads, jamming to Taylor Swift, sipping coffee downtown, paddling through the estuaries of Pensacola, wandering the naval museum, and sampling the nightlife. With each new adventure, their spark only grew. Liz’s love for the ocean took her to Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi for her master’s in marine biology, while Nick’s journey in naval aviation led him to Kingsville, Texas, to train on the T-45 Goshawk. Fate clearly had a soft spot for them, bringing both to Texas to chase their dreams. Together they made memories dancing beneath the stars on South Texas beaches, paddling across Lake Austin, sipping wine in Fredericksburg, and exploring the DFW metroplex. As time passed, Liz completed her research, successfully defended her thesis, and began a conservation position at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. Nick earned his wings of gold, embarking on his path to fly the F/A-18 Super Hornet at NAS Lemoore. Now, as Nick masters the skies and Liz continues her work in conservation biology, 2026 promises new adventures. Soon, Nick will join a Fleet Squadron, carrying them both into their next chapter. Out of all the things one can stumble across online, Nick and Liz agree: each other was, hands down, the best thing they’ve ever found… and they owe it all to HINGE, the app designed to be deleted—mission accomplished!