After years of self-imposed isolation, it was growing harder to convince myself and concerned friends and family, that I'd ever meet someone in a town of 1,000 people in the middle of nowhere Wyoming. That all changed when Marielle came roaring into town on a road trip, turned my world upside down, and left just as quickly. I was devastated to find out someone like her existed in the world, but not in mine. So when I found out she was moving to Wyoming, my heart did quiet, hopeful somersaults. -P Summer of 2020, I took a road trip to visit friends in Moab and Alpine. Fresh off a breakup and my first year of teaching (which ended remotely), I asked my friends in Wyoming to introduce me to any handsome, single men they knew. I ended up meeting a guy and his pup who were fun, but I didn't ever expect to see again. Upon returning home from this road trip, I couldn't quite explain it, but I knew I had to quit my teaching job and move to Alpine. My friends there offered me a room and a job, so I packed up my Subaru and drove to Wyoming. -M We met on Marielle's road trip, but it wasn't until she moved to Alpine two months later and needed help installing a light fixture that sparks started flying. A few days later, we went on our first date: a hike to Elk Mountain. Six hours of hiking quickly turned into the entire weekend, as we looked for every excuse to hang out more, from watching the Seahawks game (despite Patrick being a Broncos fan) to sitting under the stars and discussing the compatibility of our Zodiac signs. One house, two dogs, and a move to Washington later, we knew it was time to let the people in our lives know what we already knew: that we were going to love each other for a long time. We've had an incredible journey so far and we can't wait to share the next stage of it with you all! Love, Patrick & Marielle