After Matt struck up a conversation with Madelyn on a dating app about his love of doodles and unusual connection to Damascus, Virginia Madelyn was intrigued enough to set up a first date. The connection was apparent upon meeting at Carrier Park to walk the pups and that led to beers at Highland Brewery. The conversation flowed from fishing to teaching and everything in between. Madelyn’s friends and family were shocked to learn she enjoyed someone’s company so much she planned to hike with him the following day. After a scenic (and muddy) hike to an eerie plane crash in which Gertrude was nearly lost forever, the pair returned to Matt’s truck to find a very flat tire. Madelyn watched as Matt struggled to inflate said tire using a dying air pump with such an unbothered attitude and hilarious disposition she knew he was someone she wanted to spend more time with. Deciding on dinner that evening was easy when they realized Nine Mile was at the top of both of their lists and was (finally) offering indoor dining. We laughed so much that day and had so much fun we both knew it was the beginning of something really special.