We met 6 years ago at Burning Man 2017, where we were both volunteering with the Burning Man Organization's communications team. Patrick came up to Janel at the camp bar and introduced himself by kissing the back of her hand. Janel swooned. Playa dates ensued, followed by several dates back home in the Bay. In 2018, Janel hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) for 6 months, but came back to the Bay every 6 weeks or so for a coaching training. We would get together at those intervals, including a Sierra Nevada road trip during which Patrick brought Janel back to the PCT at Tuolumne Meadows. This road trip also inspired Patrick's very first county seat photo in Bridgeport (county seat of Mono County). Our relationship got serious when Janel moved to the East Bay in January of 2019. We informally hunkered down together during lockdown in 2020, but as of August 2023, Janel and Patrick are officially living together in a lovely family home with Janel's sister Alisa and friend Chippie.

We chose a rustic outdoor picnic area venue because we both love nature, and have enjoyed mountain biking and hiking in the rolling hills of Briones over the years. Scroll to the bottom of this page to see a selfie we took there in late March of 2020, when nature was the only thing that wasn't canceled!

Janel bought her Vera Wang designer wedding dress for $50 at a thrift store in 2022 to wear to Burning Man, not realizing she would wear it to tie the knot the following year. She cycled all around Burning Man in it, danced wildly to psychedelic dubstep at a "White Wednesday" party, and got it very dusty. Luckily, the dress survived the adventure! Given that Patrick and Janel met at Burning Man, she can't imagine wearing any other dress on their special day.

Patrick and Janel prioritize relationships. We love spending time with our friends, family, sweeties, and communities. As extroverts, one of our favorite things to do together is introduce ourselves to strangers and make new friends. We love adventures in nature, particularly mountain biking and backpacking. Patrick is even learning how to ski to accompany Janel on the slopes! Janel and Patrick highly value personal growth and have been doing individual and couples' therapy in preparation for this big milestone. Vulnerable sharing and compassionate communication are very important to us. We will continue to seek a balance between interconnectedness and individual autonomy in our partnership for the rest of our lives.

Patrick and Janel plan on sticking around the Bay Area for the foreseeable future—with lots of trips to the mountains. In 2024, we plan to look for our own place (or join a commune???) and start trying for a kiddo!