Ryan and Maureen crossed paths many times during their first couple years at Clarkson through Honors classes and group hikes in the Adirondacks. However, it wasn't until their Junior year when Maureen luckily landed an RA position in New Dorms and Ryan unluckily didn't make it into Moore House, that they ended up in the same housing complex and really got to know each other. Both vividly remember the night Maureen struck up a conversation with Ryan during her RA rounds. She distracted him away from his atmospheric chemistry studies to show pictures of a challenging trap dike hike he'd completed with his aunt and uncle. Whenever she was on RA duty after that, she stopped by to say hi, listen to Ryan play guitar, and even watch some eye-catching backcountry ski videos. It wasn’t long after the trap dike conversation that Ryan and Maureen ventured across the border to explore the Ottawa Winterlude Festival with a couple of close friends. The group of four wandered around the city admiring ice sculptures, ice skated on the Canal (quite an exhilarating adventure in subzero temperatures), and stopped in at a local pub for pints and fresh mussels. Consistent with their love of outdoors, Ryan and Maureen’s first date was snowshoeing through the woods followed by lunch at a local burger spot. They learned about each other's families, passions, and hobbies. Then on April Fools day that year, Mo along with their good friend Peter, tricked Ryan into eating an Oreo full of toothpaste. She couldn't stop laughing while he continued chewing past the first bite and finally told him he shouldn't swallow it. Ryan might still be wary of Oreo offerings.. Senior year, Ryan gifted Maureen a ski lesson and rental gear pass to the local mountain, Snow Ridge. Curious about the sport and often surrounded by friends who could ski, she couldn’t imagine a better Christmas gift. Since then, Maureen’s graduated from the bunny hill, and the two have traveled on many ski trips together.

As Ryan and Maureen graduated college, their relationship changed along with them. While they spent their summers prior to Senior year in different cities (Syracuse, NY and Easton, PA), those 200 miles seemed like nothing compared to the 1,000+ between Boston, MA and Chattanooga, TN. Instead of a few hour car ride, they were now a flight away. To stay in touch and change things up from late nights on the phone, they had virtual cooking date nights and read the same books -- Quench Your Own Thirst, the story of Bob Koch starting Sam Adams was definitely a favorite! Mo and Ryan also visited each other every few months. Some of their favorite memories are taking the ferry to Boston's Harbor Islands, hiking Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains, a surprise post-Christmas visit Maureen made down to TN & getting caught in the rain and running to the car in downtown Chattanooga after a delicious, authentic pasta meal at Tony's.

Eager to close the distance between them, Ryan and Maureen began job searching in various cities. Maureen applied to positions outside of her industry, Ryan went on an interview in NH, and both even looked for opportunities out West. Finally in July of 2019 after 3 years of being apart, the two were able to settle together in Whippany, NJ. Ryan transferred to the Hackettstown Mars location and Maureen landed a new opportunity at Novartis in East Hanover. New Jersey was an adjustment for both of them, but being together was worth it. They explored NJ trails, started peak-bagging the Catskill 3500s, went out for live music, homebrewed together, made weekend trips across the Northeast, spent time with family, and met some great friends along the way. When COVID hit, their work from home desk arrangements were not ideal, but spending more time together sure was. The new flexibility enabled them to welcome a puppy into their lives. This was a new adventure all of its own since neither had owned a dog before! Marty is a ball of furry fun, and his excitement for life and being with people continues to put a smile on everyone's face!

With puppy and ring in tow it was only fitting to find some lofty peak for the big question. And, of course, it had to be in the Adirondacks where so many memories had already been made. Limited slightly by a young but eager pup, Snow Mountain in Keene Valley proved to be the perfect summit and setting for the occasion. Even though Maureen was suspicious of the whole trip, there was still a sense of excitement leading all the way up the mountain – Marty made sure of that since it was his first big hike! Ryan brought along a smartphone tripod, which only made the whole thing more suspicious. Once reaching the top, Marty greeted fellow hikers starting their return trip to the trailhead. The summit was left with just a young couple and their dog, surrounded by a colorful mountain canvas. Marty played his part with a custom nametag as Ryan kneeled and asked Maureen to marry him. The rest of the weekend flew by with wonderment from there with stops in Lake Placid at Lisa G’s, Big Slide Brewing, and strolls down Main Street along Mirror Lake.

Another result of the pandemic situation was reevaluating life situations and careers. For Maureen and Ryan this resulted in more changes and another move--their biggest yet! Having been to Colorado for multiple ski trips and a long weekend of hiking in Rocky Mtn National Park, the two were very excited for the opportunity to move out to Denver in Summer of 2021. They are happy to be embracing life's adventures together (& with Marty when conditions allow). They hope to share a little bit of what they love about Colorful Colorado with you in September 2022!