One summer night in late August, Jameson and I were invited to a mutual friend's birthday party in Stratford, Ontario. Jameson was unsure if he would be able to attend. He had spent 12 hours working that day and would have to drive approximately 30 minutes after work to reach the party location. Luckily, he decided the trip was worth it! I was also unsure if I would be able to attend the festivities. I was invited to see the original cast of Hamilton (the musical) on Broadway - a coveted ticket for any theatre fan! After some discussions with friends and family about this decision, I decided to attend the birthday party. When Jameson walked through the door, we greeted each other with a hug. As I was being ushered away by the birthday girl to meet other guests, I promised him, "I'll talk to you later'". Approximately 5 minutes later I was sitting in the backyard on the grass when Jameson approached and said, "It's later. Can I join you?". We spent the evening sharing stories, listening to our shared music taste, and eating snacks which we purchased at the nearest 7/11. When we parted ways, we were unsure of when we would be able to connect again. Jameson decided that he couldn't wait too long, so he drove to Toronto the next weekend. Our near miss turned into a lifetime of growth together!

2020 was a tumultuous year, to say the least.... As Jameson and I had planned to be visiting family over Christmas, the rapidly rising COVID cases across Canada prompted us to decide otherwise. Out of an abundance of caution, we found ourselves planning our first Christmas alone together in our 500 sqf condo. During that time, I had also developed an illness which was impacting many aspects of my life. Through it all, Jameson was by my side, ensuring I felt loved and that our Christmas felt as special as I hoped it would be. One of Vancouver's challenges is the consistent rain that accompanies the winter months. We had not seen the sun for approximately 2 months and we were craving some warmer weather. On Saturday, December 12th, Jameson had suggested we take a hike to enjoy the outdoors. To our surprise, the rainy skies cleared for this one special day. We began our hike up Burnaby mountain that morning. Approximately 3/4 of the way up the mountain, the trails cleared and I bent down to tie my shoe. When I stood up and looked behind to check on Jameson's progress, I saw him kneeling holding a ring. At this point, I went into complete shock. Jameson said some truly beautiful words (although I don't remember all of it because I kept repeating "Is this happening? Am I dreaming?"). After a few seconds accompanied by his reassurance that I was indeed not dreaming, I yelled YES and we embraced on the side of the mountain. We completed the hike to the top of the mountain and back down, admittedly much more difficult as my legs were shaking with excitement from our recent engagement. We enjoyed a few moments of our engagement alone and called family and friends that evening to share the great news!