It all started in 2021, when Josie was working as a technician assistant in the ER/ICU at WestVet while home for the summer from veterinary school, and Tyler was working there as a veterinary technician in the surgery department. While Josie was sweeping floors and doing laundry, the highlight of her day was always when the cute, blonde surgery technician would bring his patients into the ICU for post-operative care. It was the epitome of a “work crush” from afar, and she never expected anything real to come of it. Seemingly, their story would come to an end as Josie returned to Pullman at the end of the summer. Josie completed her education at Washington State University (Go Cougs!) and became a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, while Tyler continued to provide incredible care to thousands of canine and feline patients in the surgery and ER/ICU departments at WestVet. They were each following their own journeys, unlikely to cross paths again. That was until they reconnected through a match on Hinge, the dating app designed to be deleted. Josie was excited to finally have a shot with her past crush, while Tyler wasn’t going to let the opportunity to take the new grad vet out on a date pass him by. So, he started the conversation with the best pick-up line he had: “If you had to keep a wild animal as a pet, what would you pick?” Josie responded in the only way she knew how—with complete honesty. She said, “If I ignore the ethical reasons not to have one, then I think I’d want a capybara, just living its little happybara life.” In hindsight, it should have been obvious from the very beginning that they were meant to be. After a few dates, they started going steady on November 6, 2024. Tyler entered Josie’s world during the busiest year of her life, and he was a source of constant understanding and unwavering support through it all. When it was time for Tyler to meet Josie’s family, he was, as expected, nervous. However, his nerves quickly dissipated when the Bronco tailgate van pulled up to take them to a BSU football game, and he met her parents in an old navy van covered from headliner to tires in Boise State Bronco décor. He was then introduced to her strong Basque community. Tyler was thrown into a group of people who had spent at least one day per week together for their entire lives. Sounds like an easy group to break into, huh? He has definitely earned the title of honorary Basque with the way he entered the community with total excitement and put in so much work behind the scenes to help make Jaialdi a huge success. All the while, Josie has been an unwavering source of support for Tyler in an exciting new chapter of his life. The transition from veterinary technician to high school history teacher would not feel so natural without the love and encouragement they share. Their life may look chaotic and busy from the outside, but Tyler relishes each and every moment that has turned into a collection of shared experiences. As their relationship continued to grow, their lives melded together seamlessly, including their pets—Leroy, Esti, and Eguzki—who have all become great friends. It became quite clear that their relationship was very strong, but only just beginning. They are looking forward to continuing their lives together and building a beautiful future full of laughs, animals, home improvement projects, and, of course, love.