While Colin has called the Bay Area his home for his whole life, Kathryn had just arrived for her first travel physical therapy job after 7 years in Chicago. Being a CA native, Kathryn fell in love with Marin and SF, specifically the sunny Marina. Little did she know, one night she would find the love of her life. Colin had been searching for someone to brighten his life and share his love for hiking with his dog, Cliff. It all started at Alembic, a cocktail bar in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood where Colin lived for some years. It was a cold April night in 2023, when Colin walked in and Kathryn’s warm smile brightened his soul for the first time. During three hours of meaningful conversation, they shared their love of hiking, music, and even shared their vulnerabilities. It felt so natural and the beginning of their forever adventure. It was a few days before their second date, a hike at Rodeo Beach, when Colin had been on a climb and injured his lower back. Knowing that Kathryn was very special, he dealt with the significant back pain and followed through with the date. After hiking up a steep hill, Kathryn noticed that Colin was limping and asked if he was okay. Colin recounted the story of how he injured his back and lucky for him Kathryn, being a Physical Therapist, was able to give him exercises to work on that would cure his back pain. This led to the start of many fun experiences together. Their first real adventure was a two day hike to the Lost Coast, a rugged, undeveloped stretch of Northern California coastline during a heatwave in July. Here they discovered their mutual love for wine, as their hipcamp site was on a winery. Three months later, they decided to take a leap- their first international trip together to Japan. Tokyo was the first stop where explored the city, making pit stops at sushi bars and ramen shops. It was only a few days into the trip when they celebrated Kathryn’s birthday at the Tokyo Dome seeing Coldplay. During the song “Yellow”, Colin gazed at Kathryn and said “I love you” for the first time. Kathryn obviously reciprocated the love on this special evening. Fast forward, one year later, Colin knew that Kathryn was the One! He immediately started planning his choice of ring and the proposal with copious spreadsheets and google docs, in true Colin fashion. With the help from his Uncle David, best friends Hannah, Andy, and Alfonso, he found the perfect ring and location for the proposal- Rodeo Beach, the site of their second date. It was December 8th, and while it was a mostly rainy month Colin was lucky enough to get a beautiful Sunday to hike with Kathryn to the Tennessee Point Labyrinth and get down on one knee. Countless experiences have continued since then including buying their dream home, where they can’t wait to one day grow their family and continue the adventure of life together.