In the Spring of 2006, Napa High School choir did an international trip to Ireland to sing in various cathedrals across the country. Rachel’s best friend, Maya, had been mentioning that year a few people she was in a science class with would also be on the trip. While they had seen each other in passing, it was this trip that they started a rocky friendship- rocky because Rachel thought Dustin was scary (even though we all know he isnt). Two years passed and their friendship SLOWLY grew until the date before Graduation, Rachel had her birthday. Dustin, feeling bad he never wished her a happy birthday, asked Maya for her address so he could do so in person. Imagine Rachel’s surprise when he showed up that evening on her front porch to give his well wishes. Several hours later of sitting and talking, they became true friends and Rachel wasnt so afraid of him anymore. Fast forward several years of friendship, both Rachel and Dustin were going to school at Napa Valley JC when those friend lines started to get a little blurry - but both were afraid to ruin anything. Over winter break in 2013, Rachel left CA to visit family and when she came back, it was to Dustin with roses and asking her if she would go to dinner with him later that week. Thinking he was just being sweet, Rachel agreed (completely oblivious, as always, to it all and insisting that she was ok just being his friend). Later that week, Dustin took her to, what is now, Red Rock North for a casual dinner then drove her up to Artesa Winery (where he worked) to look at the stars and see the view. It is there, at the top of the stairs surrounded by the Artesa fountains and the view of Carneros, that he asked her not to run away and that he had feelings for her. Her response: ‘do you see me running?’ A month later they become official when she drunkenly texted him (while out with her girlfriends) ‘no touchy’ in regard to other girls. The rest is history!

For years, Dustin has been taking Rachel to one of his favorite places in the world, Graeagle. When he was a child, he would go up every summer with his mom and grandparents, and look for every critter he could get his hands on. One of his favorites, was a snake called a Rubber Boa. He ended up loving this snake so much, he convinced his mom to bring it hope and keep it as a pet. As an adult, Dustin has looked for another Rubber Boa in Graeagle after his died. For years he searched but never found another one. When Rachel and him got together, he told her of this snake and they started to look for it together every time they visited Graeagle - to no avail. A typical summer weekend trip for them, Rachel and Dustin headed up to Graeagle in August 2023, for what Rachel thought, was just a quick and fun trip to the mountains. Dustin was a bit on edge the whole drive up and kept mentioning making it up to the local lakes for sunset. They got there, and Dustin immediately insisted they drive up to the lakes to look for snakes. Not entirely out of the ordinary, Rachel just went along with it. Upon getting to their favorite lake and the best snake catching area, Sardine Lake, Dustin, with a single minded focus started trying to catch snakes, murmuring the whole time that he was losing light. Every snake he went after, got away. At this point, Rachel just hung back and let him go to town trying to catch them since he seemed so determined. After yet another snake got away, Rachel, standing 30ft away, looks down to watch her step in the rocks, found a snake literally between her feet moving reeeeeally slowly. Calling out to Dustin, she said “Don’t freak out, but I think your snake is between my feet”. He runs over, gets down on the ground and mutters “You’ve got to be f***ing kidding me!” It was a Rubber Boa! The snake Dustin has been looking for over 20 years! Of course, Rachel also freaked out because she had never seen one and heard about this type of snake for over a decade. It was beautiful and so sweet (yes sweet). For the next ten minutes, Rachel just took pictures, held it and was excited while Dustin looked on in shock and just kept muttering “Youve got to me kidding me”. Finally pulling it together, Dustin ran back to the car, grabbed a bucket so we could put the snake in it. Rachel, being Rachel, didnt want to put it down and wanted to keep holding it because it was so cute. Finally insisting she did so, Rachel turns to put the snake in the bucket and turns around to find Dustin on one knee with a ring in his hand. The first thing she said “What’s that?” Chucking a little, Dustin says “You are the catch of my lifetime” and proposes - surrounded by the beauty of Sardine Lake and a snake in a bucket next to us.