From the moment Ryan and I met in 2019, our friendship was incredibly easy. It was as if we had been friends our whole lives, and we were just catching each other up. Our first “date” was when I drove (over an hour) to his house to drink Blue Moons and trash talk the Florida Gators. We continued to meet up- I would write my lesson plans at the Starbucks he coached basketball near so that we could be together, and I don’t want to know how many thousands of miles he drove to my apartment to eat pizza and watch Lord of the Rings. We just fit together so well, and it was so natural, that it made sense to fall in love with him. He’s the best adventure partner I could ask for- Disney, the beach, anywhere Delta will fly us- but my favorite adventures are the little moments that we find ourselves in frequently- walking to the coffee shop on Saturday mornings, laughing in the Christmas aisles of Hobby Lobby, or playing tug-of-war with the dog. We’ve found ourselves in a life full of small, magical moments together that only become more beautiful as time passes. I’m the luckiest girl in the world to be marrying my best friend. It’s a good life, Ryan Akin.

Everybody’s love story starts with a swipe, so of course ours is no different. Even with an initial impression through pictures, there was something special that exuded through her smile (and yes, seeing a photo of her in the Disney tea cups was a win for me as well). Hope was the first person I ever connected with where I immediately considered what it would be like 10, 15, 20 years from now with her. Every conversation from the beginning felt intentional and purposeful. There was a lot of early laughs and bonding over Disney, travel, life experiences and also rooting against Florida. But most importantly I remember not being able to learn enough about her. While she taught her kindergartners I became the student who never wanted class to end. Hope was the most unique and special individual that I had ever come across. I knew early on that a life with her would mean constant adventures and would never lack in excitement. She would push me, but I needed that. Eventually I realized that after a lifetime of chasing something safe that might provide momentary joy, I found a lifetime partner that would help overcome any and every challenge we could face together... and we’d laugh a lot while doing it.