Amanda and I met in the summer of 2020. Amanda's aunt & uncle planned a scalloping trip to Homosassa Springs, FL and invited both my and Amanda's families. Neither of us were originally supposed to be with our families until our plans - her summer internship in London and my Army career start in Fort Knox - were canceled due to COVID-19. So thanks to our families and that damn virus, we got introduced & felt sparks instantly. I remember sitting across from her at the picnic table on the river as she told one of her stories, and then waking up the next morning with sore cheeks from laughing/smiling so hard. Despite the obstacles we faced, like the fact that we had just met and I was moving to Oklahoma in two weeks, there was no denying there was something special there. While Amanda finished her last semester at that other Florida school, we began long-distance dating. I remember calling my dad after her first visit and telling him I'd found 'the one'. The Army continued to not make things easy for us by constantly sending me away, but Amanda and I persevered, taking advantage of whatever time we could and logging 70+ flights to see each other. In February 2022, Amanda began a remote company and joined me in Texas, where we embraced everyday joys like morning coffee (or Mcdonald's diet cokes) and loving on our adopted dogs, first Bobby, and then Brody. Life with her just made perfect sense, so in January 2024, during a family skiing trip in Park City, UT, I successfully surprised Amanda and asked her to marry me.