Liz and Ryan met during their Freshman year at UC Davis. For four years the two would cross paths on campus and at the Craft Center (where Ryan took an unnecessary class just so he could say hi to Liz). They bonded over their love for music, art, burritos, and parties, but things never escalated beyond a friendship. One fateful day during their final weeks of Senior year, Ryan saw Liz running down his block. He was sitting in the back of his truck which was piled high with snow that he had brought back from Tahoe, and he whipped up a quick snow ball which he hurled it at her feet. With soaking wet shoes, she ditched her run for an ice cold beer with Ryan, and from that point on the two spent the last 5 weeks of college together. Their connection was undeniable, but Liz already had a one way ticket to New Zealand, and Ryan was looking towards working harvest in Napa. The two parted ways... Fast forward four years - Liz was packing up her life in North Carolina and heading home to California. She and Ryan had not spoken. During her drive cross-country, Ryan reached out to check in. All these years, he had been wondering about her. She shared her plans to move to Napa, and Ryan exclaimed "I live there!". The two got a beer on Liz's first night in town, and it was as if no time had passed. They have been inseparable ever since.

Ryan knew that he wanted to propose to Liz at Skyline park. This is where they would go together on weekends - Ryan would mountain bike while Liz would trail run. It has beautiful sweeping views of the valley and when they were out on the trails it felt like their own backyard. On a clear and bright day in April, Ryan asked Liz to join him for a hike. He packed a backpack with champagne, flutes, and the ring. The two set off on the trail. With the whole day ahead of them, Ryan said that he wanted to make it a long one, and so they passed many of their usual turn arounds and continued out into the mountains. Ryan had a particular viewpoint in mind and the climb would certainly be worth it. However 4 hours in and two look out spots later, Ryan realized he had remembered those views differently and wanted something even more grand. And so the two continued to hike up. Soon, they were in the out edges of the park, further than they had ever gone before, and faced a grueling climb up the side of a slick, muddy mountain. Liz and Ryan scrambled up to the top, pulling themselves up by roots, weeds, and rocks. It was brutal! But when they got to the top, sweaty and covered in mud, they could see all of Napa Valley and San Francisco, and Ryan knew this was where he wanted to propose. He pulled out the ring and popped the question in-between exhausted breaths. It wasn't until they were about half way down the mountain that Liz told Ryan she had figured out his surprise 5 minutes into the hike. Regardless, it was perfect.