When Karen first saw him, Samuel scribbled something in a little black book. Curious, she asked, "Whatcha doing?" He smiled and said, "It's not done yet.” That was the start of it all. The first date was at the Jazzy Wishbone—pretty much a dive bar, but Karen didn't care about the place. She only cared about the boy with kind brown eyes and a smile that warmed her heart. They talked about everything and anything, and somewhere in the midst of it all, he spilled his secrets. And she just listened —the talker, the one who always has something to say —sat there, quietly taking it all in. That very first date lasted longer than either of them expected. They talked through the night until daybreak, and as the sun rose, Samuel looked at her and asked, "What now?" Without hesitation, she eagerly responded, "Original Pancake House!" If you know Karen, you know it's her favorite breakfast spot. From then on, they were inseparable. Before they left San Diego together in 2024, Samuel took Karen to that breakfast place one last time. In the sweetest surprise, he gifted her with her favorite blue coffee mug so they would never forget where their love story began. ------ And now, here we are, asking you to be part of the day we seal our forever.

Our first trip together was a dusty, sun-drenched adventure on a hilltop in Temecula Creek, where we set up camp and cooked over an open fire under the vast, starlit sky. As the flames crackled and the night deepened, Karen picked up a piece of wood and learned how to whittle, her focus sharp and her curiosity boundless. That simple moment—just us and the stars—stayed with us. Karen enjoyed the trip so much that after the trip Samuel surprised her with her very first pocket knife, much to the dismay of everyone who knows her well.

In April 2024, we booked one-way tickets to Barcelona with no plans beyond the first two nights. What followed was a whirlwind—Spain to Portugal, then back again—chasing flavors, stories, and memories. Italy was next, but homesickness crept in. So we flew to Egypt, where we spent Easter—and where I celebrated at home for the first time since 2016. It was also where Sam met Karen’s family for the first time. We ended up in Greece, wandering ruins and watching sunsets that felt like dreams. Then came Washington, D.C.—our new home and the beginning of a new chapter.

Samuel splurged on a chef’s experience at Matsu—Japanese for “pine,” a symbol of endurance and a bridge between worlds. It felt fitting. Our journey had already been full of moments that felt like fate, and this was another. We were incredibly fortunate to be seated with the head chef—an experience so rare it felt like the universe was giving us a little nod as if to say, this is special.