We first crossed paths in the fall of 2022 at a get-together hosted by our mutual friend, Meg. I (Victoria) had my trusty National Parks water bottle with me — covered in stickers from all the parks I’d visited over the years. Perry noticed it almost immediately. He walked over and asked, “Have you actually been to all those parks?” The answer was yes. I shared how my love for the outdoors took root while living in LA, where weekend trips turned into a personal mission to visit every national park. Perry lit up, sharing stories of his own — of family road trips, favorite trails, and his own connection to those wild places. We exchanged numbers, learned we lived just a mile apart… and then promptly never called each other. Not right away, anyway. It wasn’t until the spring of the following year that things shifted. We kept finding ourselves side by side at group outings (coincidence? maybe), and conversations flowed easily. Eventually, we stopped waiting for the universe to do the work — and went on our first date on March 13th, 2023. Since then, we’ve shared countless laughs, late-night talks, new adventures, and a growing sense that this — us — is something truly special. It all started with a question and a water bottle. Now, it’s a lifetime in the making.