Of course, the first time Erin ever met Kyle he had a cup of coffee in his hand. They were in the Campus Safety Office, waiting for the Dispatcher to give out the day's assignments. That summer, they were working for Tiger Patrol and each day started about the same - Erin drove and Kyle sipped coffee. From the very start, it was Erin who did most of the talking. It did not take long for them to become good friends, and great partners. They didn't start dating until several years later, after reconnecting in Denver. All it took was one date at Forest Room Five for them to realize that nothing had changed - They both loved to travel, they both still loved coffee, and most importantly Erin still loved to talk and Kyle was happy to listen.

Erin and Kyle have always been fond of a good adventure. One of their very first was a trip to Albuquerque to see the Balloon Fiesta. They both had crazy jobs that kept them long hours, but they were determined to make it in time for Dawn Patrol. They drove down to Colorado Springs in the evening, checked into a hotel and slept for about three hours. They checked out around two in the morning and drove through the dead of night to try and make it before sunrise. They were barreling down the I-25 just south of Santa Fe when suddenly they saw flickering in the sky. They watched from their car as the Dawn Patrol rose high above the Albuquerque skyline. They had made it. They stepped onto the field just as the special shapes were preparing to launch. For Erin, this was truly special - the Balloon Fiesta was a cherished childhood memory and she was thrilled to share it with Kyle. For Kyle, he was getting to see Erin's home, true home, for the very first time. Through the course of the weekend, Kyle met several aunts and uncles, even Erin's cousins. The hardest person to win over was, of course, Emilia, Erin's god-daughter. But Kyle was determined, he not only escorted Emilia to "The Glow" (the evening lighting of the balloons) but he bought Erin and Emilia a giant bag of mini donuts. He knew that the path to an Ortiz girl's heart is through her stomach. It was there, at the edge of the great field, full of massive flickering balloons that Kyle realized that he wanted all his grand adventures to be with Erin. New Mexico has held a special place in their hearts ever since. It is only fitting that they start yet another grand adventure in the Land of Enchantment and share the place that they love with their closest friends and family.