Alexa and Jon met in October of 2020 when a shortage of coffee beans at home brought Jon to Pacifica in search of a caffeinated solution. There he happened to see Alexa, bright-eyed and bushy -tailed, suiting up for a solo surf session at Linda Mar beach. Entranced, Jon decided that rather than waylay her from the waves, he would leave a well-crafted note with some basic facts, an IG handle, and his cell number. Upon returning from the sea, Alexa saw the paper under her wiper blade. After confirming it wasn’t a parking ticket, Alexa considered the information available to her and decided to go for it, texting Jon later that day. Following one or two local dates, Alexa invited Jon to come stay at a cabin in Yosemite with some friends who were coming from Utah. But then just a day before the trip, all the other group members had to cancel as the road from Utah to Yosemite was closed for heavy snow. Jon and Alexa were encouraged to make use of the non-refundable Airbnb, so just a couple of weeks after meeting, they went by themselves and had a blast exploring a frigid Yosemite and keeping warm by the fire. This was the first of many amazing COVID trips: local, domestic, and international. A few notable mentions: • Experiencing both our first sighting of the “Green Flash” at sunset hiking Montara’s Gray Whale Cove trail. Despite both having lived by the ocean for years, witnessing 1000s of sunsets, neither of us ever saw the green flash before that evening. • An amazing trip to Portugal during a brief window between COVID variants to explore empty castles, beaches, and cities for Jon’s 30th birthday. • A cold and long overnight backpacking trip to some hot(ish) springs in Big Sur for Alexa’s 30th. Despite short daylight hours and high rivers, Jon and Alexa plus Ralph and Eligh survived! Jon has made his way to Utah, Seattle, NY, and San Diego to meet and spend time with Alexa’s friends and family. Alexa spends time in Southern California with Jon's parents and met his extended family at their family reunion in Charleston, while Jon got to experience the magic of a week aboard the houseboat at Alexa’s favorite place: Lake Powell! The couple also joined Alexa’s family in Costa Rica, and Jon’s family on a bucket list trip to Rwanda and Zimbabwe. In 2022, Jon and Alexa took a leap and bought a condo together near the beach in San Clemente. They have since worked together to have it remodeled, furnished, and turned into a successful vacation rental that they can also use as their own so-cal beach getaway. In June 2023, Jon popped the question during a surprise engagement disguised as a couples photoshoot in another of Alexa’s favorite places: Sunset Cliffs, San Diego. In the stunning sunset light, Jon asked Alexa to be his forever partner and she said yes! Alexa, Jon, Eligh and Ralph currently reside in the California Bay Area in the coastal town of Montara.