We became good friends at work and would often talk and share stories at the end of our day. When we both bought houses around the same time, we bonded over shared homeownership woes and helping each other with simple house projects. We felt a connection with each other since the first time we hung out, and our relationship just grew from there!

We took our first camping trip together in the Pecos Wilderness of New Mexico in 2024. After several labor-intensive (and back breaking!) tent trips, we finally decided to purchase a teardrop trailer in January 2026! We have made lots of memories together already in our trailer and enjoy sharing time in the great outdoors.

For Christmas 2025, Jake surprised Kristen with a trip to the Grand Canyon in the Spring. In April 2026, we took our teardrop trailer on a 3-day camping trip in the Grand Canyon. On our second day there (after watching the sunrise over the canyon), we took a walk along the Rim Trail with Xochi. We stepped aside off the trail to take some photos in a quiet spot, and that's when Jake proposed!