I first saw Samuel's Hinge profile and immediately knew I wanted to match with him. Unfortunately, the algorithm always showed me his profile after I had used my final like of the day. This happened two days in a row. (I was almost convinced Samuel was a bot because of how ideal he seemed) On the third day (January 7th, 2023) my patience was rewarded and I sent a like. That same night Samuel asked for my number and asked if we could meet in Charlottesville, VA for a coffee date. I agreed to the date. However, not long after this conversation I came to the realization that this was extremely forward and I knew almost nothing about him. I had every intention of ghosting Samuel until I discussed it with two of my close friends. If it wasn't for my Maid of Honor and Matron of Honor, who convinced me to at least hop on a video call with him, we may not be where we are today! The video call was a success, although I felt it had a rather abrupt ending so I questioned whether he actually enjoyed talking to me. To my surprise the next morning Samuel texted me and asked if we could meet for our first date that Saturday in Charlottesville. My first impression of Samuel was that he genuinely loves Jesus, has interesting opinions/ interests, and was really good at making me laugh. Needless to say I was over the moon when he asked if we could go on a second date. Over the next few months we saw each other every other week or so and texted regularly. On April 10, 2023 Samuel asked me to be his girlfriend. By this point I was pretty convinced he had real potential to be husband material. Being long distance has taught us a great deal over the past year, and helped us prioritize time together whenever possible. On March 12th, 2024 Samuel executed the most amazing proposal. Unbeknownst to me, he concocted a plan and recruited three of my closest friends to assist him. I was 100% completely surprised. I feel very blessed that I get to spend the rest of my life pursuing Christ by Samuel's side.

As Ali said, we met on Hinge. She checked my three main boxes: 1. Pretty. 2. Loved Jesus. 3. Interested in me. Over the next two to three months, we facetimed, talked on the phone, and went on dates. On one notable date, we took our very first picture together: a polaroid of ourselves on Cole Mountain. Later on, after a particularly delicious date (in which I had the BEST bowl of macaroni and cheese with fried chicken), I remember driving home from the restaurant, excited; I knew that I wanted her to be my girlfriend. April 10, 2023, after hiking and throwing a frisbee, we started our official relationship. I found myself in unfamiliar territory. I had only had a girlfriend once about ten years prior, and that was short-lived. I remember just trying to build up the nerve to hold Ali’s hand while on a little hike beside the Maury River! On top of that, the distance was a bit of a challenge that needed planning. Nevertheless, we continued growing together despite distance, travels, work, and summer camp. During this time, Ali began a tradition of sending me postcards from the different cities she visited for work. These became more and more meaningful to me as the summer went on. In August of that year, at Thunder Ridge Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I told her that I loved her; she reciprocated, and the world became a better place. More polaroids and postcards came and went, and I more seriously prayed and sought counsel on marriage. Of course, everyone had only good things to say about her. The deciding factor, however, was prayer. In complete honesty, I found that the more I prayed about marrying Ali, the more and more I was led to do so. So, after prayer and wise counsel, I began hatching a plan to propose. After consulting with Allie and Bry (the maid and matron of honor), I bought the ring, which was a bit of an ordeal in and of itself. I came up with a plan to visit Ali’s parents several hours away and ask for their blessing. Allie, Bry, and I came up with a plan to surprise Ali during sunset at Thunder Ridge, the same place where we first confessed our love to each other. I did everything I could to keep it a secret, even going so far as to reactivate an old tracfone so I could still make calls without her tracking my location! Additionally, leading up to the proposal, I told her multiple times that I would “see her soon.” This frustrated her immensely, as she was not expecting to see me for over a week, but soon, the moment came. I waited on the parkway until she and Allie were at Thunder Ridge. I approached her from behind. Attempting to capture her attention, I snapped a traditional polaroid picture. It didn’t totally work, but after getting her attention, I said, “I told you I’d see you soon.” I got down on one knee, popped the question, and slid the ring on her finger as the sky turned orange behind us. Everything went perfectly! Now, I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with the woman that I love. To be continued.