Mel and I met at the start of 2016 when I was a TA for the whitewater kayaking class, taught by Martha, who somehow trusted a bunch of college students with boats, paddles, and moving water. The class was full of great memories and only a handful of mildly questionable decisions. For the next three years at Texas A&M, we spent a lot of time together kayaking, climbing, and working at Outdoor Adventures. Senior year we got a little closer because she was dating my good friend and roommate, which meant she was basically another roommate. But the real spark didn’t happen until later, once we were older and wiser.
Post graduation, I started teaching in Bryan and Jared became an EMT in Beaumont, which basically means we were both out there saving lives. After seeing each other at various get-togethers we started to realize there might be a little more going on than just friendship. On our first date in May of 2019, Jared told me he had never felt this way about anyone else, which was a bold move for a first date. Then he casually invited me to his family’s beach trip. I assumed this meant meeting his parents… maybe a sibling… possibly a dog. What he actually meant was getting to know ALL 40 plus members of his extremely tight-knit family. So, naturally, as any reasonable girl with the slightest fear of commitment would do… I ran for the hills (aka Colorado).
A year after Mel moved to Colorado, I decided to reach out for some climbing advice which, in hindsight, was really just an excuse to talk to her. Not long after, Mel contacted me with questions about this “new coronavirus” that was starting to go around. One thing led to another, and suddenly, thanks to the full rise of COVID (and all of Mel’s newfound free time), we were spending hours a day on the phone. It all built up to me inviting Mel on a paddle trip to North Carolina where, after taking personality tests and discussing whether or not bugs sleep, we decided to give long-distance a real shot. I started PA school in Fort Worth, Mel kept working in Denver, and four years and countless flights later, we finally relocated to Boise together.
After settling in Boise, J and I realized all we really wanted was to just keep experiencing life together. For our fifth anniversary, Jared surprised me by renting a van and planning a weekend getaway to Stanley. We found the most perfect camping spot overlooking the mountains and spent the weekend hiking and exploring the Sawtooths. Then, on an evening walk, Jared suddenly got down on one knee. And right as he asked me to marry him… it started to rain. Now, with a new ring and a van of our own, we’re absolutely thrilled to chase every new view together through sunshine, rain storms, and every perfectly imperfect moment in between.