We're getting married!

Kara and Jayden's story began in 2016, back when life was simpler, curfews were real, and neither of them had any idea just how intertwined their lives would become. They were 16 and 17, respectively, when fate — disguised as a group movie night — introduced them at The Krikorian Vista. Kara had been invited by a friend to join a group of Wave Waterpark employees to see Suicide Squad (obviously a cinematic masterpiece). Jayden saw Kara and, in his words, “that was it.” He proudly claims he strategically secured the seat next to her. Kara, on the other hand, recalls Jayden spending most of the movie flirting with her friend on the other side of him. While the truth likely lives somewhere in between, what is certain is that Jayden made the first move shortly after. From that point on, they were inseparable. As high school gave way to college, their relationship grew alongside them. They mastered the art of spontaneous adventure, setting off with no destination other than “east,” “west,” or “wherever feels right today,” trusting the road to do the rest. Though they attended separate colleges and lived somewhat separate lives during this time, they were never truly apart; Kara and Jayden always chose each other, again and again. Post graduating, their sense of adventure only escalated from there. For over a year, they lived in Cleo, a shuttle bus they completely gutted and converted by hand — designing, building, and problem-solving every inch together. That bus soon became a home as they traveled across the country until Jayden returned to school and a new chapter began. Soon after, they packed up once more and moved across the state so Kara could pursue graduate school. Through it all, they were taking leaps taken side by side. Somewhere along the way, they picked up off-roading as a hobby and spent weekends exploring backroads across California in their beloved 1993 Jeep Wrangler. That chapter ended rather dramatically when they drove it off a cliff... an event that has since become a favorite story and a reminder that not every adventure needs repeating. They also adopted Tyra, a dog who quickly became family and was trained as a personal protection dog. Tyra is proof that Kara and Jayden don’t just commit to each other, but to everything they do. The Belgian Malinois now joins them wherever life takes them. Through all of it — the road trips, the bus build, the moves, the mishaps, and the milestones — Kara and Jayden have grown up together. They became adults together. And piece by piece, choice by choice, they built a life so deeply shared that it’s impossible to imagine one without the other.

For our third date, we planned a 24 hour adventure while Jayden's parents were out of town (sorry Gini) which included going to the Birch Aquarium and provided us with the first photo ever taken of us together. We also did activities like scarfing down burritos at 2am and getting kicked out of Walmart for racing shopping carts. It was the most fun we'd ever had and made us realize that this was something special.

We love to hike/camp with Tyra and adventure to new places, even if it's just within our neighborhood. For camping specifically, we have gotten very into off-grid camping in remote locations (sorry, no designated camp-sites allowed).

The important things, or at least the things that are most important to us. Parenting styles, life aspirations, and the appropriate proportion of sprinkles to put on an ice cream cone.

To visit every country at least once.

Buying, deconstructing, reconstructing, and living in a bus for over a year (obviously).