We met in Houston while Megan was completing her pediatric residency and Lucas was finishing his PhD. It was a Tuesday afternoon around 4 p.m., and we both happened to choose the same sushi spot in Uptown—Oishii, a local landmark famous for its BOGO happy hour (hence the early hour). The restaurant was small, with only about 8-10 tables, and as fate would have it, we were seated at opposite tables, facing each other. We couldn’t stop exchanging glances—though who initiated it depends on who’s telling the story! At one point, Megan’s friend went to the bathroom, and Lucas saw his chance. He turned to his friend and made a deal: “Buy me a beer if I go talk to the beautiful woman across the room.” His friend agreed, and with a little extra encouragement, Lucas made his move. For reasons still unknown (but incredibly lucky), Lucas began by complimenting Megan’s smile—it turned out to be the perfect icebreaker for the dentist. Megan smiled back and gave him her number, which Lucas wasted no time texting once he was in the parking lot. A week later, we had our first date at Hermann Park, where we started falling in love and Megan met her second love, Fika!

Megan returned to Colorado after her residency in the summer of 2022, and Lucas promised he would follow. Lucas first moved to Salt Lake City for postdoctoral studies, and for about a year, we traveled across the Rockies to see each other. True to his word, Lucas finally moved to Colorado in the fall of 2023. Shortly after we started living together in Colorado, Megan’s older brother Matthew planned a family trip to Vail, CO, for the opening weekend of the ski season. Little did Megan know, Lucas had planned to propose on the mountains. Since Lucas isn’t the most skilled skier, he thought it would be suspicious if he suggested a ski trip, so Matthew acted as the middle man. On Sunday, November 12, 2024, as we rode the gondola up the mountains, Matthew suggested we stop by the Legendary Back Bowls sign for a family photo. As we gathered for the pictures, Lucas got down on one knee and pulled a ring out of his jacket, promising Megan a long and happy life together.

We recently bought our first home, and the three of us (Fika included) are happily settling in together. Looking forward to celebrating the next chapter of our lives with all of you in Vail, Colorado!