Online dating: the millennial answer to personals ads. Nolan was so intrigued by Alina's profile on OKCupid that he was able to see past the ominous 86% compatibility rating, and she found humor (and an Oxford comma!) in his initial message. They went on their first date a week later, and then saw each other for a consecutive week after that. Then came Happy... and many sleepless nights and a few clogged vacuum cleaners later, they have gone adventuring from as far south as San Diego to our great northern neighbor, Vancouver. From helping each other move to babysitting the various animals that Alina brings home, they're excited to build family and community from their home in the Bay Area.

After hiking all day in Zion National Park (UT), and braving the imminent dangers of hanger and flash floods in the middle of the Narrows, Nolan and Alina returned to their AirBnb to discover that Alina had not, in fact, thought to program the A/C on a timer. Our brave explorers in wet hiking boots and good spirits returned to a nice dry sauna of almost ninety degrees at about ten pm at night. Perhaps that is why Nolan felt warm enough towards her to propose in his underwear! Hiding the ring in a pile of muddy clothes and praying that Alina would not be helpful (for once), Nolan took the fastest and scariest shower of his life while Alina took time to read (thankfully putting the cleaning off until later). Fresh out of the shower, and after plenty of pep talks, Nolan put on a slow song, and asked Alina to dance. The foundation of their relationship was one of having the freedom of choice. They had always told each other that if they were ever unhappy with each other, then they'd have the freedom to leave. As odd as that sounds, it has always been a comfort to them both because that means that they are choosing to stay. If Nolan had rehearsed a bit more, then he would have foreseen the heart-stopping way in which he tried to tie this point into his proposal. Unfortunately, he said something along the lines of "You know how we always said we could leave if we were ever unhappy...?" If that wasn't bad enough, he paused, as Alina's heart raced and she mentally booked a new flight home. Luckily, he continued: "...and I've decided that I couldn't be happier with anyone else." Then he got down on his knee, and pulled the ring out from underneath the heap of dirty clothes. "Would you want to run away with me? ...But, like, also get married first?" Out popped the most beautiful ring, and she said she would. And so she did. And now they're getting wed and inviting you to join them!