Like any great modern love story, ours began with a stroke on a screen. One swipe, a Phuket Bowl at Stanley's, half a bottle of Moscato, and we were infatuated. Well, there was a kiss at least. We began dating August 2021, and then celebrated Rose's 30th in New Orleans in October. Our first trip together, and nothing close to our last. As the snow hit, Rose plunged Kalyn into the world of snowboarding, which finally made winter tolerable, and she fell in love with two things at once. And what else could a trash monster and an ocd-ridden lady have in common? A love for nature, animals, being active in almost any capacity, and exploring the world. It’s the adhesive that we had both been looking for in a partner our whole adult lives. When you find that, you hold on tightly (minus a 6-month hiatus somewhere in the middle, but who remembers that?) We’ve also dove in unforgettable regions- Rose’s first being in Costa Rica. We’ve had giant Mantas swim centimeters from our faces in Hawaii, and booped the million year old limestones in Mexican cenotes. We’ve felt the history of Italy, seen the out-of-this-world landscapes of the Dolomites, and the beautiful coastlines of California—where we enjoyed San Diego, Joshua Tree, and the majestic Redwoods. Hiking together in these places alone has filled us with more joy than can be expressed. All of it side by side, or often one booty grab in front of each other, enjoying all the views ;) Big Sky, Montana was chosen as the 2024 snowboard trip destination, along with friends CJ and Abby. Little did anyone know, Kalyn had been secretly planning the proposal. Only having asked Rose’s sisters for approval, Kalyn had to inform CJ and Abby for documentation purposes. The day began with embarrassing attempts to ride a T-bar lift. This was followed by a humorous moment when Rose tapped on the ring box and asked what it was. Lunchtime proved challenging when we ate our pocket sandwiches within the trees of a gorgeous run, but couldn’t come up with an excuse to pull Rose out into the stunning open area to pop the question. Kalyn worried the opportunity had slipped away. But late in the afternoon, while gliding down a run free of other humans, the stunning mountains around us were breathtaking. Rose, caught up in the beauty of the day, fell over and exclaimed how amazing it all was. That was Kalyn’s cue. With a mix of excitement and nerves, Kalyn mumbled a few words, signaled CJ and Abby to start taking pictures, and then, already on both knees because she was strapped to her board, asked the big question. “Are you serious?!” Rose exclaimed, and the rest of the day was filled with exuberance and a bit of celebratory booze. -Insert an entire military deployment here- Pick it back up on a once-in-a-lifetime, month-long trip to Australia and New Zealand. Almost immediately after Rose returned to the States, we flew across the ocean to a continent neither of us had been before. The waters were stunning shades of blues, the accents were Auz-some, and the mountains made our hearts sing. There is nothing like breathing and cupping hearts underwater together as hundreds of species surround you, above and below. Nor a road trip like the one through magical fjords and what looked like untouched turquoise lakes. These are the things that we love- for, with and about each other. We cherish the sweet moments that might go unnoticed — like the way Rose squeezes Kalyn just right, or how Kalyn leans in for a sniff of Rose’s hair (which is not weird). As much as we love having plans, we also value downtime — holding hands on the couch, even if it's just for a moment. Usually, Kalyn’s buried in her laptop, popping her head up to cheer when Rose gets a cool kill in Apex. The puppies burrow between us nightly, but they’ve also brought us even closer — our little family, exactly where we want to be. With our fur babies in lock step, our next adventure takes us down the aisle.