We joined a softball team organized by a mutual friend and first spoke when Kaitlyn told John the best math pun he had ever heard. We bonded over post-game beers at Corcoran's talking about our connection to NC State, love of backpacking, and sports. Several weeks later Kaitlyn plotted an outing with the team to Taste of Lincoln, mostly to see an 80s cover band play and John, thankfully, showed up. That night we really hit it off and set up our first date for the following weekend. Our first date was truly incredible but John hit it out of the park by bringing Kaitlyn to a (really rad) used bookstore before dinner. We've spent nearly every Saturday together ever since.

John asked Kaitlyn to revisit one of our favorite date spots on the Nature Boardwalk in Lincoln Park, just steps from the softball field where we met and where we would go on to win our first coed recreational softball championship together just a few months later. Kaitlyn agreed and, unaware of John's true motives, set up blood donations for that morning. After a day FULL of errands, we biked over to the park and had a lovely time reminiscing over the times we'd been there previously. There, on a dock framed by the city's skyline and the sunset over the flowers of Lincoln Park, John asked Kaitlyn to marry him. Kaitlyn, clearly overcome with joy, excitedly nodded but, John would note, didn't actually say "yes" (until she remembered how to speak a few minutes later). We then enjoyed champagne at the nearby Hotel Lincoln, where we are excited to return for getting ready and our wedding night!