In the summer of 2017, Monet moved from California to Alabama to start graduate school at Auburn University. Jamie was already there. He had arrived in January and was in South Carolina capturing deer when Monet got into town. They were assigned to work in the same office, and the whole office thought that it was a bad idea to have a cheerleader from California join their office full of 'good ol boys'. Upon meeting, Jamie's first impression was that Monet had really good posture then put his headphones in and went to work at his computer. While she wanted to get to know her office mate, she had heard he was really shy and a hard worker, so she kept her chatter to a minimum, and fretted over how noisy she was eating chips in the office. Over the next two years, the two grew closer, capturing wildlife (and each other's hearts). While other's would later admit they saw the chemistry all along, the pair thought they should keep it professional and remained friends. Finally (!) October of 2019, Jamie and Monet decided they couldn't 'just stay friends' any longer, gave into what they had both been feeling, and decided to get together. Shortly after, Jamie graduated and moved on to a PhD at University of Wisconsin-Madison. A few months later, Monet graduated and began her PhD at Auburn. Despite living far from each other, their relationship continued to flourish, and the two proved their dedication to one another. It required more effort, including: video calls and long drives to and from the Midwest and the South, but the two continually chose one another and their relationship. Their next 3 and a half years of dating were filled with adventures with their dogs, camping trips, and spending time with family and friends. Together, they hiked the Grand Canyon, saw moose in Colorado, and went Camping in Big Sur. They have visited 21 states together and are always looking for new adventures in new places. February 25, 2023, they decided to drive down to Florida to try to see manatees. The two hiked with Monet's dog, Yogi, and searched for the manatees, to no avail. Instead, they drove to the nearest beach to watch the sunset and spend some time on the beautiful gulf shores. While photographing the sunset, Monet asked Jamie what he wanted to do next, to which he responded, "Marry you" and proposed. Once again, they chose one another, and chose a life of adventures together.