The story begins in 2015, with two kids on a dating app. One was pulling pranks in the desert with a soon-to-be best man, the other set up by a friend, after trash-talking the effectiveness of online dating. After a forgotten but surely witty pickup line, it was brought to light that Jacqueline actually lived in Montana. It was safe to say there was no future and the two went on their way. Life moved forward, but through a series of crazy but fortunate events Jacqueline moved back to Ca, and the adventure together began.

When I visited Jacqueline in Montana before she moved home to California she took me on a hike in Glacier National Park to avalanche lake. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not such an avid hiker, or used to high elevations by any means. I kept taking breaks acting like I was taking pictures on the trail and pausing for things. She was an avid hiker at the time and referred to this hike as her “cool down” hike in the park. “Ohh yeah it’s all downhill, super easy”. She lied, it’s pretty much uphill the whole way. When we got to the top it was amazing. Waterfalls everywhere, so much green, a very special place. I took a picture of Jacqueline on a log in front of the lake and it’s one of my favorites to this date. Flash back to 5 years later and we went back to Glacier. We couldn’t find parking at the avalanche trailhead so we played around at the park and about 11:30 we went back and found a spot. It was the hottest time of day and the trail was packed. This time was different for me because I had a little surprise for her at the top by the lake. I was so nervous I forgot all my water and most of the camera gear I needed to get pictures of us in the car. My brand new GoPro I had bought just to record the proposal died literally the second we drove into the park. While we were on the trail I was jacked on adrenaline knowing I was proposing at the top so boy was the hike easy for me. For Jacqueline not so much, and I might have cracked a few jokes on how the tables have turned from 5 years ago. Once we got to the top (Jacqueline was dead) we found a quiet spot by the lake and sat down. After everyone had left our spot I finally got down on one knee and proposed. Right after that the adrenaline had worn off and I was crazy tired and dehydrated. We were so tired after that we didn’t take any pictures of ourselves at the lake or the ring, nothing. Halfway back down we stopped and she took some pictures. On a day that everything went wrong (for me), but that proposal changed everything.