We met during our freshman year of high school and started dating a year later. I don't think that this was a relationship that anyone expected (including the 2 of us), but we are more than thankful that Spanish class and Pelican's Snoballs brought us together. 6 years later and we have graduated from the same high school, found a love for traveling, got a dog that needed 2 hip replacements, fell in love with each others families, graduated from ECU, and best of all, supported every crazy decision that either one of us has ever had.

Every year, my family takes a not so luxurious summer vacation to Canada. It starts with a 15 hour drive to a cabin on the lake that has no wifi or tv but allows us to disconnect and talk with each other. It involves no dinners out, but never a meal alone. There is no privacy within the home, but there's always someone to talk to. You're lucky if you get to sleep past 7am, but even luckier when you get to see a beautiful sunrise. Not everyone gets invited to Canada and it takes a special person to love this place like I have loved it for the past 22 years. A year into dating, Jon was invited to my family's special place and he grew to love it just as much as the rest of us. After graduation, I was offered a job in Charlotte and found out that I was not going to be able to attend our yearly summer vacation. After finding out, Jon's dad texted me saying that he would love to fly me up to Canada for the weekend so that I could surprise my family as well as Jon (yes, he went on the family vacation without me). I got off work early on a Friday to catch my flight, only to board the plane and then find out the flight was cancelled due to weather. Finally, after many tears, phone calls, and running around, I caught a flight and arrived to the cabin around 2 am. That next morning everyone was "surprised" to see me. Jon had gone down to the dock and for some reason my mom really wanted me to go down there too. I was too focused on what was for breakfast. After she asked me 3 more times to go down and see him, I finally did. I was taking a picture and I felt Jon put his hands on me and he was shaking. Next thing I know, he's turning me around, getting down on one knee, & asking me to marry him. I see my parents and siblings come out from inside and Jon's parents walk down the hill to where we are. Best surprise I could have ever asked for. This is a place that has always been special to us. Now, every summer we come back, we get to remember where forever started.