Emma met Nick a few months before moving to Portland, OR after only a year in LA—excellent timing for absolutely no one except fate. Our first date kept unfolding like a scene that didn’t want to cut. Breakfast became a museum, the museum became dinner, and dinner turned into a long conversation over our shared love of Chicago and the pull of the saltwater sea. Yet, Nick found himself helping Emma pack her life into a Subaru Outback, the official vehicle of impulsive new beginnings, and road-tripped up the coast, stopping in Santa Cruz, then at a hip little outpost just over the Oregon border where wild turkeys roamed more reliably than cell service and the two of us froze overnight in a geodesic dome that was definitely built for good vibes, but not for insulation. When we got to Portland, Nick gave her a “well…good luck out there” hug, and flew back to LA—not entirely sure he’d ever see her again. Yet, we talked every single day for the next three months. And somewhere between the texts, calls, and “miss you”s, it became obvious someone had to move. Given that Emma had just been laid off after just getting hired, and Nick’s SoCal soul short-circuits in precipitation, the answer became clear. Emma made a dramatic U-turn back to the 310, and the rest is history.

We took a long weekend to camp in Mammoth Lakes, CA, shortly after Nick had endured oral surgery that looked like something out of a low-budget horror film. The next morning, we woke under a 300-year-old Juniper and set off for a popular hiking spot. Alarm bells should have rung when Nick suggested we veer off-trail for “the money shot.” Nick hates taking photos. Yet there he was, wielding a tripod like a seasoned photographer, and Emma remained completely oblivious. We scrambled over boulders until we found a spot with the perfect panoramic view. He set the timer, stepped around her, and with a near tumble off a 1,000-foot cliff, kneeled down with perfect dramatic timing and popped the question. Emma was stunned, delighted, and immediately said yes, proving that chaos has its perks.