We met at Watervale! It was Nell's first year working there, and Evan had already worked there for 4 years in college but came back to help with pre-season work. We hit it off, talking endlessly through the nights and hopping in kayaks to watch the sunrise. We met back up the next summer like no time had passed and started talking every day on the phone. We went on our first official date August 23, 2018. We can't wait to have a new anniversary on June 6, 2026!

It lasted all day! Evan had been working overnight as an EMT in Naperville and Nell was home from Watervale for a few days before going back to school in Iowa. We went to the Morton Arboretum in the late morning to see the giant wooden trolls they once had there. Next, we had lunch and headed over to Cosley Zoo, a small zoo Nell loved as a child. Around dinner time we ate burritos and went bowling for several hours into the night. When Evan dropped Nell off at home, they made plans for him to visit her at school in Iowa. The rest is history!