We're getting married!

We met on the Island of Oahu. Kerstin came for an optometry externship, Andrew for sea orders. Within our first week on the island, we met on a mile hike of stairs: Kokohead. What started as an instant connection grew into something more over the next three months filled with hiking, snorkeling, diving, exploring the islands of Oahu, Kauai, and Hawaii. When "I like you" became "I love you" we knew staying together would take a lot of hard work.

Since then, and for almost 3 years, we've continued to date long-distance. Our love has blossomed throughout 7 moves and a deployment. We have traveled to and from California, the Hawaiian Islands, Florida, Washington, Oklahoma, and Germany to see each other and make the most out of this separation. And though each goodbye gets harder, we know it is all worth it in the end.

Christmas in Germany, site seeing, enjoying amazing food and drink, hopping from city to city and exploring castles and museums. What started as another day of getting ready to explore became suspicious when Andrew couldn't figure out what he should wear for the day. Suspicion was quickly thrown out the window when the weather turned and we were completely unprepared to have frozen wet socks as soon as we got to the ticket office waiting to get tickets to tour the castles. Though the first tour of Schloss Hohenschwangau was cold and wet, we made some new friends as we slowly dried off. Unbeknownst to Kerstin, Andrew had other reasons to make friends on hike up to Schloss Neuschwanstein. Though due to weather, the path to Marienbrucke was closed, therefore not allowing the perfect photo-op to have an amazing view of the castles. As we headed inside the courtyard the weather required the upper courtyard to be blocked off as well. For a moment, Andrew felt his plans were completely ruined, then after a photo on the closed off stairway decided to take a chance. Dropping to one knee in front of a couple hundred tourists, with the castle that inspired Disney as the background, Andrew asked the question that would start a brand new chapter of our great adventure: Will you marry me?

Though another deployment is fast approaching, and next PCS move unknown for both, we could not be more excited for what lies ahead. We invite you to come celebrate our wedding in Paliku Gardens at Kualoa Ranch, Oahu; 30 miles from where it all began.