Gavin and I matched on Hinge in early July and made plans quickly to meet for a drink on a Friday night. When I followed up about the date, it had actually slipped Gavin's mind! I typically would have thrown in the towel before a reschedule, but he had a really good reason (he had surprised his family with a trip to Disneyland and a night at a nice hotel to help his sister take her mind off of her impending LSAT exam - swoon!). Beyond that, I just had a really good feeling about this guy after our several text exchanges, so I agreed to meet up two days later at Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica, before church. He immediately redeemed the forgotten Friday night date with his charming smile, thoughtful questions, and great eye contact -- and honestly, I never wanted the morning to end. We sailed through the typical first-date chat in about an hour and were already moving on to dreams of the future and the download on our families when I realized I was breezing through the beginning of church. (I didn't want him to think I would blow off church for him, but I did end up squeezing in a second cup of coffee and being 30 minutes late. He later revealed to me he took that as a sign things were going well!) We set a second date for 4 days later, and the rest, as they say, is history. <3

One of our first dates was to see "Jurassic Park" played with a live symphony orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl; the theme music quickly became an anthem of our blossoming love. When I figured out that there was a helicopter tour in Hawaii that takes you to the base of the famous waterfall in the opening of the film, I knew we had to go. As a treat before the end of the year, we decided to do a weekend in Hawaii. Unbeknownst to Lindsey, by the time I casually mentioned Hawaii as a spur-of-the-moment “let’s do something crazy” getaway, I was months into planning a trip she’d never forget. Our itinerary that weekend was a secret to Lindsey, for some added fun. On the flight out, I gave her a card celebrating our five-month anniversary, which was the next day. We had to depart our hotel at 5AM the next morning fully dressed and photo-ready, under the guise that we would take advantage of a free photo session the hotel offered to guests later that day. When we took the exit that was clearly labeled "HELIPORT," Lindsey exclaimed her characteristic "OMG BABE!" In the helicopter, Lindsey squeezed my hand with excitement as we approached the end of the narrow valley that led to the waterfall, the pilot pumping in the Jurassic Park theme over our headsets. It was barely 8AM and was already promising to be the most magical day, but I had one more trick up my sleeve. We turned to head down the final leg of the flight. As we were about to begin our approach to the heliport, the pilot turned towards a grassy knoll on the side of Haleakala, Maui's resident volcano. Circling the grass pad, the pilot told us we'd stop and land for a breathtaking view of the coastline below. On the ground, I asked one of our fellow passengers if she'd snap a photo of Lindsey and I with my phone. Lindsey was talking our impromptu photographer into place to frame up the shot she wanted. As she turned to tell me she was ready to take the photo, she found me down on one knee, ring in hand.