We met on a sunny early Autumn day in Newport, RI. A date was set for tea after a few weeks of chatting on the "Coffee Meets Bagel" dating app. Since Rick was living in Rhode Island, Lauren thought it would be convenient to meet up in Newport after skydiving with her friends. Rick had gone skydiving at the same spot a few years prior, so it was a good conversation piece as well as a great indicator that both were up for adventure. Having spent some time getting to know each other over tea, Lauren and Rick then went on a walk through Newport's quaint streets. The conversation always flowed with little effort. Finally, on their approach to Thames Street, they ran into none other than all of Lauren's friends from the skydiving trip earlier that day. It was an earlier than expected introduction for Rick, but it looks like he passed the test!

Lauren and Rick love to hike, particularly when tall mountains are involved. One of the hikes planned for the summer of 2018 was a popular and scenic trek across Lafayette Ridge in Franconia, NH. The main destination of the hike was the peak of Mt Lafayette itself, which rises to over 5,000 feet. The weeks and months leading up to the hike were filled with careful planning for Rick, along with quiet pondering for Lauren (When will he ask?). Rick selected what he believed to be the perfect ring for Lauren and got some loving encouragement from his mother and grandmother when he showed them. A longtime musician, he felt that the proposal itself should involve music. Rick and his brother Tyler thus set out to record a song specifically written for the proposal. Although the Lafayette Loop hike is known for its stunning panoramic views, the day of the hike for Lauren and Rick turned out to be cloudy and misty. Visibility was low atop the ridge, but the fog rolled up the sides of the mountains for a dramatic effect. The couple reached the Lafayette summit after a slow and steady pace, when Rick motioned to Lauren that they should set down and rest on a rock secluded from the rest of the hikers. Sitting now on the rock, Rick told Lauren that he had a song to play for the occasion. He pulled an iPod with two pairs of headphones attached out of his bag. Soon after the song began to play, Lauren's eyes filled with tears as she anticipated what was to come. The song concluded, and Rick asked Lauren to stand up. He then dropped to one knee and asked if she would marry him. Lauren quickly said yes, and they embraced with hearts full of joy. The fog even seemed to part for just a second. Distracted now by the complete happiness of the day, Lauren and Rick proceeded to get lost twice on their descent back to Franconia Notch. It also started to pour rain. None of this mattered to them when they could think about the rest of their lives together instead.