Katie and Austin met on a dating app called Bumble in July of 2021. They both swiped right on each other and quickly found out they had some mutual friends (What’s up, Mico!). After a sweet phone call that Austin initiated, they knew they had to go on a date. Austin made the two-hour trek down to Dana Point from Redlands on a Sunday afternoon to take Katie on a picnic at a park of her choosing. After picking up some Trader Joe's goodies, they found themselves at Heritage Park, a grassy downhill slope with stunning views of the Dana Point Harbor to the South and the Pacific Ocean to the West. The park was busy with locals enjoying the beautiful weather, dogs running around playfully, and a wedding party lining up near the overlook in preparation to exchange vows (foreshadowing at its finest). They grabbed their Trader Joe's goodies and started walking down the slope, hoping to find any ounce of shade that wasn’t already taken. As they approached the steepest slope in the park, which was visible to all, bridal party included, Austin’s sandals slipped out from under him, causing him to launch about two feet in the air with flailing limbs, only to fall comedically hard on his back, crushing the snacks in the Trader Joe’s bag and his spirit alike. Everyone at the park, bridal party included, stopped in their tracks to see what the commotion was about and wondered if the loud pop they had heard was this poor guy breaking his back or just his pita chips and pride. To avoid looking like a complete fool, Austin got up quickly and started pointing at the sky, rambling something along the lines of, “Did you hear that over there? Dang, I’m glad that wasn’t me.” Austin finally looked toward Katie, and once she realized he wasn’t significantly injured, they both started laughing hysterically. Shortly thereafter, the dozens of parkgoers, bridal party included, had a clear understanding that this was a first date and joined in the laughter toward witnessing what was possibly the most embarrassing moment of Austin’s life. After the laughter subsided, Austin looked deep into Katie’s eyes, red-faced with humiliation, and explained, “You know, if you take the time to get to know me, you’ll realize that it looks a lot like this.” Katie giggled while responding, “I’m just glad you ate it before I did.” Following the ice, back, and pita chip breaker, Katie and Austin finally let their guard down, leading to their signature natural connection. They spoke about how their friend groups view them as golden retrievers, their love for people, their love for the outdoors, their adventures traveling abroad, and the experiences they both have had while working on ziplines. They had deep conversations, laughed uncontrollably, and felt comfort, almost as though they had known each other for years. Evidently, on this humiliatingly hilarious, yet beautifully perfect Sunday afternoon, their lives had changed forever. They were in love.