We met in 2007 at an Elon University football game. Ayaan was a student from Tucker, Georgia and McKinley was visiting from Fayetteville, NC to cheer a friend on. Sharing the same group of friends we would see each other from time to time and 10 years later during a New Year’s Eve celebration we fell for each other and here we are!

It's New Year’s Eve 2020 in Southern California and we spent the day sightseeing and watching movies. While on an evening stroll on the beach in Carlsbad, CA with not a soul in sight because well...COVID, we started talking about our future and McKinley got on one knee and proposed. And OF COURSE Ayaan said YES!!!

You may be wondering "why California?" During our 4 1/2 years together we have been long distance. While Ayaan has been in Georgia working and finishing her MSW degree, McKinley went from active military in Augusta, GA to post military in North Carolina, Qatar, and finally California in the San Diego area. We have fallen in love with Southern California and want to share our love for it with family and friends on our wedding day.