After meeting Fall of 2017, it would take Cam and Emily a couple years to convert from friendship status to dating. After returning to Moscow for their Senior year at U of I they planned to go on their first date over Labor Day weekend. The two met for their date at Alehouse (Classic Moscow!) and talked about traveling, hiking and music. Little did the couple know, a group of Emily's closest friends would secretly sneak into the restaurant wearing fake moustaches, baseball caps and sunglasses; Requesting the same waitress, the group would pester her for updates throughout the evening (Spoiler alert, the date clearly went well). After finishing dinner and losing their stalkers, they continued on to The Garden Lounge and later Mingles. Their first date lasting a whopping 8 hours.

The pair left on a trip to Paris, France and Spain November 2023. After a week walking along the Seine, exploring La Sagrada Familia and eating A LOT of pintxos, Cameron took Emily to watch a Real Sociedad game and later popped the question on the Bay of La Concha's beach in San Sebastian (while groves of old Spanish men combed the beach with shovels and metal detectors in tow). The pair finished the evening with even MORE pintxos and Gelato before heading to Madrid the following day.