The Hinge that Opened the Door: Max: I was going through Hinge and I saw this girl who peaked my interest. When looking at her profile, the first thing that attracted me to her was her profile picture of her laughing. Looking further into her profile I saw that she was adventurous, had a cute smile, and liked football (Go Pack Go!). I couldn't not send her a like. And surprisingly enough, she liked me back! We chatted for a little and I told her that I was a Packers fan. Turns out she likes the Eagles (Just a little). With the Packers playing the Eagles in the Wild Card game, this brought a little trash talk between us. Even before the Packers played the Eagles, we had scheduled our first date for that Tuesday. Unfortunately, the Packers lost and I told Kayla that I would support the Eagles. She told me that I'm a better loser than she is, which I might agree with. Nevertheless, we went on our first date at the Whiskey Biscuit and the rest is history! Kayla: I begrudgingly took the advice of some friends to “put myself out there” and joined Hinge because I was frustrated with the dating scene. After going on an “okay” date, I got back and was scrolling through other profiles and saw a Catholic guy, Max, liked me! He started the conversation by asking what my favorite Harry Potter book was. I had quite the extensive response! We only chatted a bit before he asked me on a date, which I appreciated. After we had agreed on our first date, I found out he was a Packers fan, and the Eagles were playing the Packers in the Wild Card game before our first date. When the Eagles won (Go Birds!), Max texted me saying “I guess I’ll have to root for the Eagles now.” That’s when I knew he was a bigger person than me! The Snowball Effect: Kayla: For our second date, Max went with me to mass and took me out for brunch. The Gospel reading that Sunday was from John: The Wedding Feast at Cana. I hadn’t looked at the readings beforehand and was nervous when I heard the Gospel as this was only our second date! While at brunch, we talked about our Christmases with our families and I showed him the picture of me with shingles…I know, super romantic… On the way to dropping me off, he asked what my favorite NEEDTOBREATHE song was because the picture he “liked” from my profile was of me at Red Rocks at their concert. I automatically said “Banks” and he asked to hear it. When he asked for another date, I was eager to say yes! After we set the third date for the Pro Rodeo at the National Western Stockshow, I texted him to see if he was free on MLK day. Even though he had to work, he came by after work and we went on our first walk through my neighborhood. It became a fast growing tradition for him to come for a walk after work. Max survived meeting a group of my friends at the Rodeo and officially asked me to be his girlfriend after we essentially spent the whole day together watching football and finding out the Eagles would play the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. During the off week before the Super Bowl, Max and I joined some friends for a snowshoeing adventure near Steamboat. Max supported me during the Eagles Super Bowl victory over the Chiefs! He even resisted wearing a Texas Tech shirt (to support Patrick Mahomes) because he knew I would not find that funny. With football season over, we focused on enjoying the beautiful outdoors of Colorado and meeting each other’s family. Even amidst the craziness of multiple trips, my hectic teaching experiences, and Max training for an ultramarathon, Max and I were able to find the time to see each other almost every day. After surviving Homecoming at Mizzou, we went on another classic walk around Englewood. Only this time, Max had a special surprise for me! When we walked by one of our favorite parks, Max got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I immediately said yes! We sat for a moment taking it all in before we went to Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel to pray and thank God for the gift He has given us!