We met in San Francisco, online, like most modern couples do, because we both had the same profile picture next to Machu Picchu. For our first date, we decided to run Bay to Breakers together. That first 10K turned into weekly climbing gym sessions, which turned into weekend adventures. We kept trying to outdo each other’s tolerance for type 2 fun, which somehow led to backcountry snowboarding Mount Lassen, backpacking through the Grand Canyon for several days, nearly getting lost in the middle of the desert in Southern California and motorbiking across Northern Vietnam.

We moved in together in the summer of 2020, a year defined by uncertainty, wildfires, protests, and pandemic lockdowns. Then we adopted Kira. Our lives began to revolve around her walking and potty schedule, and somehow the routine of caring for a dog grounded us. Through her, we rediscovered the joy of being outside and found steadiness during a very strange summer.

After months of talking about it, we bought a used cargo van in the fall of 2020 and converted it into a camper using YouTube tutorials and blind optimism. Burnt out and yearning to see the world, we quit our jobs in March 2021, moved out of our Mountain View apartment, sold most of our belongings, and packed the rest into roughly 60 square feet of living space. We were ready to go!!

For four years, the van was home. We traveled the Pan-American Highway from the forests of the Yukon, Canada to the end of the world in Ushuaia, Argentina. Along the way, we climbed, hiked, summited volcanoes, learned spanish, tried every food we could get our hands on, got sick from eating questionable food, discovered new ways of living and made lifelong friends.

As much as we loved life on the road, we missed community. We missed friends, family, and being present for their milestones and everyday moments. Eventually, we returned to Vancouver, Lauren’s college town, and began building a more settled life together. And while visiting friends in Calgary, on a hike in Kananaskis during larch season, Diego finally proposed!