Will and MK first met on Will's prospective student visit to UCSB in spring of 2014, where MK was a 2nd year PhD student. They only had an hour to chat before MK had to head out on a weekend field trip - they spoke about student life, the geology department, and their (soon to be) shared advisor. MK vividly remembers thinking at the end of that conversation, "man, I really hope he comes here - I would so date him." Will also remembers the talk well, and chose UCSB shortly after. He also slept his first nights in the Ravenscroft House on that visit, and he must have impressed there as well, as he earned an invitation to join the house! Thus, Will became MK's housemate (dashing her fleeting hopes of dating her cute new colleague... what crazy person would date their roommate/office mate/lab mate?) Will started school that fall and they became friends. They played, bonded, and worked together for those last months of 2014, until the first spark of romance flew between them on New Years Eve. After that, feelings began to grow on both sides. For a month or so, MK maintained (against Will's protestations) that they should not date because of their constant proximity to each other at work and home - but when you spend nearly 24 hours a day under the same roof, you can only ignore your feelings for so long :) Sometime in spring of 2015, their friendly hangouts turned into romantic ones. They became a couple and have remained so since.

Will and MK got engaged on a hill, in a cow field, surrounded by fall colors, with caves under their feet, at a magical place in rural West Virginia called the Sinks of Gandy. It was just the two of them and Arnie the Dog, and the moment was all joy. After the hugs and kisses and selfies, they explored the caves (even Arnie - such a brave dog!) and spent the rest of the weekend hiking, cooking, hot tubbing and smiling.