We first met in graduate school and new of each other as we shared the same class schedule. In our last semester of school, John got invited out in Milwaukee for a night out with mutual friends - we sat across from each other at dinner and couldn't stop talking to each other the rest of the night. Our first date was the next weekend when John took Erin up to Madison, WI for the day, where we found our mutual love for adventure and good conversation. We quickly learned we share the same values and have similar goals in life. The rest is history!

Following our love for adventure, we planned a trip out to Washington to explore Seattle, Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Park. On our third day into the trip, we went out to do our first hike in Mt. Rainier. What we didn't anticipate? The snow! Pulling into the parking lot we soon saw everyone around us walking by with snow pants, skiis, and snow-shoes walking through knee-height snow. We started up the entrance of the trail, where John turned to one knee and proposed to Erin with Mt. Rainier in the background. After the initial surprise and joy settled in, John had also surprised Erin with a local photographer and a setup of delicious wine and beautiful flowers back at the AirBnB. We spent the rest of our trip indulging in delicious smoked salmon and Hood Canal oysters while celebrating our engagement. It was truly a trip to remember!