Alex and Kendra met on Hinge and connected over the emotions of apples and blueberries before their first date at the end of July 2021 at a bar in North Oakland. On the first date, Kendra wore heart-shaped sunglasses and Alex was a man of mystery in all dark denim. Apparently drinks weren’t enough, leading to sharing more about each others’ lives over Korean food and Kendra disclosing how she was involved in poop-filled high school pranks as Alex walked her to her car at the end of the night. Thankfully, the stories about poop did not scare Alex, because they continued to date. They held hands (rollerskating at the Church of 8 Wheels), had their first kiss in the car, and ate Vietnamese pork belly shortly following the first date – suddenly Kendra was scared all these fun times were quickly turning into something real! She decided to ghost him for a few days until her mom told her to stop playing games and text him back. It turns out she really liked him, because a few months later on the way out of Alex’s apartment door, she said “I love you” to Alex. Over the next few years, they would learn more about each others’ histories, families, friends, aspirations, dreams, and fears. Kendra was enjoying her first big girl job after graduate school and was in the process of re-forming her faith and finding her community. Alex would be grappling with his job and transitioning into a new career path ahead. Through it all, their commitment to each other deepened and partnership continued to blossom. On September 27th 2024, after much meticulous planning and coordination with the help of Kendra’s family and friends (which involved developing fake personas and stories), Alex masterfully executed a proposal which shocked and surprised Kendra to her core! A fake 6 am sunrise hike with friends and a 1-yr old baby being used as an excuse so Alex can pop the question to Kendra with a ring in hand from Shane and Company – not a Bay Area company, to her disappointment – ultimately led to her tearfully saying “yes” in the yucca-filled backdrop of Joshua Tree National Park. To this day, Alex and Kendra are looking forward to what a life together brings – encouraging each other in their endeavors to build up the community around them while enjoying k-dramas on the couch with six or all thirty of Kendra’s stuffed animals. From cooking the Chinese soup recipes Kendra’s grandmother made on a Wednesday night to Alex sing-screaming “Last Christmas” during Friday night karaoke with friends, they are eager to discover where their love takes them!