We’re getting married!

It was January of 2016 when Nathan sent that first message to Miki, complimenting her on the way she wrote and her taste in music. Although initially apprehensive about his age, Miki decided to give the charming young man a shot. Messaging quickly turned to texting, and within a few days they had already discussed meeting in person. However, unbeknownst to Miki, Nathan had grown tired and frustrated with the cycle of online dating, and deleted his profile sometime after getting her number, but before they’d even met. Familiar with online dating culture herself, Miki knew what this meant. The relationship was over before it even started. The texting never skipped a beat though, so Miki hoped for the best and decided to ask Nathan out for dinner anyway. Needless to say, she was met with a quick and enthusiastic yes, as Nathan admired her straightforwardness and willingness to take the lead. The two planned to meet at Ha Long Bay, a quaint little Vietnamese restaurant on the east side of Madison. And so, the first date was set. For that very same night, February 2, 2016.

Fast-forward to the summer of 2019. At this point, Nathan and Miki had been living together for over three years, traveled internationally, visited fourteen different states, and moved across the country for Miki to pursue a dream career opportunity. Considering the two had been talking about marriage since their third month of dating, Nathan knew the clock was ticking. So without a definitive proposal idea in mind, he set out to find the most expensive ring money could buy. Fortunately for him, Miki intervened and started sending him progressively not-so-subtle hints about the jewelers, stones, shapes, and sizes she liked. And shortly thereafter, her custom Heidi Gibson ring was being express-shipped to Boise, Idaho. The rock was on the way, and once again, the clock was ticking. Being the sentimental guy that he is, Nathan reflected on personal, meaningful places where he could potentially pop the question. He had known for months that doing it back in Wisconsin felt right, and conveniently, the two had a trip planned for early September. Now, if you've ever asked Nathan about his favorite places in the Madison area, he's no doubt told you about Governor's Island, a small peninsula on the north shore of Lake Mendota with some of the best views around. Well, he'd also shown Miki this hidden gem pretty early on in their relationship, when he rushed her out the door of his studio apartment to catch the sunset in time. Not only did Miki share her fondness for that moment on social media back in April of 2016, but she brought it up again years later, when the two were discussing when they *knew*, that they were in love and that they were meant for each other. And so, with utmost certainty, Nathan now knew that Governor's Island would be the place.

As their September trip to Wisconsin started nearing its end, Miki began losing hope that the proposal was coming. But Nathan had other plans, and on their last day in town, on a gloomy Monday afternoon, ring in pocket, he suggested the two swing by Governor's Island for old times' sake. A few minutes into their stroll around the island, they arrived at the same lookout point that Miki had posted a picture of on Instagram three years prior. In classic Natorade fashion, he lightened the mood - to calm his own nerves - by making a Pokémon joke, pointing out that the trees across the lake looked like a group of Alolan Exeggutors swaying in the wind. It remains a mystery how smoothly this transition played out, but he then reminded Miki of the first time they visited that outlook, and about how she'd told him that was when and where she knew she loved him. And before Miki could even process what was happening, Nathan was down on one knee. "Miki, will you marry me?"