Let’s celebrate!

Connor and I met in September 2017 during our last year at the greatest University ever, Western Colorado University, in Gunnison Colorado - GO MOUNTAINEERS. The first night of our story together began by the Gunnison River in a hammock, under the crisp clear Colorado night sky. Little did we know, this would be the beginning of something much more. Our first “date” was at a restaurant in the nearby mountain town known as Crested Butte. This is where Connor asked me to be his girlfriend for the seventh time in which I finally agreed. We then spent the remainder of our senior year supporting each other, every single day, as our undergraduate careers neared their end. By May of 2018 Connor and I completed our capstone projects; I was accepted into graduate school, and we graduated hand-in-hand. After graduation, the narrative would change. We both moved home, Connor moved to the Denver area, and myself back to Colorado Springs to save money before my big more to Las Cruces, New Mexico. Connor and l had agreed to follow our own dreams but stay together and support each other through the distance, knowing it was not going to be easy but we were willing to try. In August 2018 I moved 600 miles away not only from family but from Connor as well, and this was the beginning of the hardest trials an tribulations of our journey. In the three years of my Graduate candidacy we learned some of the most valuable lessons that helped us grow as a couple; to trust, to be independent, how to communicate, and most importantly, how to love each other unconditionally. I won't go into every detail but within this process we only got to see each other a handful of times each year. At times it almost seemed like the distance was going to rip us apart but we made it!

On August 14th 2020, a day that I will never forget, was the 13th year anniversary of my eye surgery that changed my life. That day also became the day I never knew would happen. 2020 was a rough year for us all, and seemed even harder for those distanced from their loved ones. This was a time that Connor and I had to wait even longer to see each other, so we planned an early graduation trip to the mountains in Colorado. We packed up our bags and filled up our hydration bladders, and headed west into the Rocky Mountains. After hiking 4 miles in, Connor stated he needed to poop ( I guess this was code for pulling out the ring from his pack). So without hesitation I took a seat off the trail to rest. When he got back he helped me up and we trudged forward till we got to the high alpine lake, called Rogers Peak Lake, just beneath the Continental Divide to take pictures, Connor set up the phone, and within minutes was stumbling over his words, got down on one knee and asked, "will you be my adventure partner forever?"