She had a car and he wanted a ride to the beach.

For being such a young couple, we have traveled a great deal. Even before we began to date, we were both part of a program at Hope College called the Phelps Scholars Program and would take day trips to various cities in the United States. During our freshman year, Collin's roommate introduced us to the possibility of the Rwanda May term and the rest is history. We have since traveled together to Scotland, England, Germany, and Rwanda and separately to China (Gabbi), Japan and South Africa (Collin), and various locations in the United States; it is safe to say that we both have the travel bug. These experiences have brought us closer together and have helped us to realize our passion for travel and international experiences, who knows where we will go next!

His: April 18, 2015--What a day. It was a Friday, a little over a week before finals. With classes done for the week, Gabbi and I wanted to go to the beach with some friends, but none could go with us. We got some lunch and headed to Kouw Park, just north of Holland, MI. We had a great day in the sun, trying to destress before finals. Come sunset, the romantic moment overcame me and I asked, "Can I kiss you?" (consent is cool, kids). After some hesitation and mental preparation, we kissed. After an incredibly long kiss (4 seconds??), we could barely look at each other. Big dumb grins were shared. Then one of us said, "do you want to do it again?" Of course! Anyway, we watched the sunset wrapped in a blanket. Neither of us wanted to leave, so we looked at the sky and watched the stars come out. By the time we left, our bare feet were numb and we really had to pee. Hers: When we set out for a day at the beach, I had no way of knowing that Collin and I would share our first kiss. For starters, Kentucky Fried Chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy does not exactly set the scene for romance. Once at the beach, we laid around for most of the day and went into the water; at sunset, he turned to me and asked "Gabbi, would it be okay if I kissed you?" Shocked, my first thought was, "do I even remember how to kiss?" But as the sun went down, my memory served me well. Later in the night, I gracefully excused myself to puke behind the car (I don't do well with nerves and fast food).