It's quite silly really. I had just moved to Carson City, NV from Oakland, CA. I was starting a very different life path and I was very new to the whole rural mountain thing. Carson City is a small retirement town, so making friends and meeting others my age with similar interests was few and far between. So this led me to trying out the ol' online profile- the primary goal was to find others to hike with! Which now brings me to the part where I stumbled on Eric's page. Unlike the others, it consisted of a minimal amount of photos and the 'about me' which read, "Good grief." I remember thinking, what does that even mean? Who is this guy? (Lol). Meanwhile, Eric's roommates at the time were training him on how to spot a "catfish" and preparing him for the worst. You could say neither of us were really the *online meet people* type, but obviously we were open to the idea of trying new things! Our very first time meeting, we bonded over emo music (only those who know, know), laughed a whole bunch, and talked until the place closed for the night. Fast forward to now (roughly five years later) and I still get butterflies driving home from work or from an event knowing that I'll get to see him (even though I see him every. single. day). All in all, he's my best friend, and the gratitude that I have for Eric and our tiny little life together continues to grow beyond anything I have ever known or felt I had capacity for. So here's to trying new things, being vulnerable, being silly, and finding a damn good match. -Love, Emily

The story goes that Eric had been planning the proposal for a while but Reno/Tahoe had been experiencing one of its worst summer/falls in terms of fires and smoky weather. On a finally clear weekend day, we set out on a hike for the Donner Lake Train Tunnels (where Eric took me on our first hike together) with our good friends Tyler, Sabine and baby Jacoby. When we arrived at a good spot for viewing the lake, Eric was down on one knee and yes, I flippin cried okay? Neither of us really remember what each other said, except for Eric saying, "I love you so much, even more than snowboarding!" And for those that know Eric even a tiny bit, you know that that's saying a lot (Lol). Donner Lake and the Truckee area in general continue to be a special place for us and our history together. I met Eric when he was living in Truckee. Naturally, we spent most of our first dates in Truckee, exploring Boca Reservoir and Stampede, biking down the Truckee river legacy trail, and fishing and hiking down the Truckee River. Donner Lake (in Truckee) is where we had our first hike, where we celebrated our first year anniversary, and is now where we got engaged. We are excited to keep the tradition going by holding our wedding ceremony at Donner Lake! Eric and I are so grateful to live in such a beautiful area where we get to constantly explore and create memories together. Our adventure is truly only beginning!