Kali and Ryan's Glamping Adventure

The first time we met was during a brief exchange right after I moved to Stevens Point and was touring the Natural Resources building, popping into professors and graduate student offices in February 2017. Nearly one year later, we hung out for the first time at a conference, and quickly became inseparable. After a small party at our house (we often hosted the other starving students for dinner), Ryan stayed on our couch after a few too many drinks. To my surprise, my dog Addie, who never leaves my side, insisted on snuggling with Ryan on the couch and stayed there all night. Without hesitation, I knew I found someone special when my dog instantly approved! Our friendship grew over the next several months. We found ourselves studying together, eating together, and socializing in the same circles. Our friendship elevated into a relationship by May 2018, and Ryan extended his tenure in Stevens Point by a year. Our first summer was spent catching ducks, splitting time between our cabin in the woods and Ryan's rental in Stevens Point, and continuing to get to know each other. We moved in together by January of 2019 in a cozy 600-square foot house while Kali wrapped up graduate school and we starting looking for permanent jobs.

Kali and Ryan began dating in May of 2018. We spent our summer sharing a one-room cabin with no running water (we have stories!) and my roommate on a large property adjacent to where I did my fieldwork. That summer was filled with wonderful memories, from spending nearly every day outside, exploring the property and wildlife, to washing our dishes in an old litter tub. In that first summer, I joined Ryan for a family wedding and his annual family vacation. We spent most days together, met each other's friends and family, and started planning a future together. We explored Wisconsin, ran a half marathon, and spent thousands of hours looking for ducks. By January, we had rented our first home together and started applying for jobs across the country. The stars aligned, and I was offered my dream job within an hour of my family in Michigan. We spent the winter enjoying Wisconsin, skiing and snowboarding every chance we had, and prepared for a move together to Michigan in April of 2019.

I accepted a job offer back home in Michigan at Ducks Unlimited. Ryan agreed to pack up his life in Wisconsin and move to Michigan with me. He didn't have a job lined up, but we both had confidence that if we stayed persistent, things would work out. Ryan found a job quickly (although not with fish), and we moved to downtown Pinckney in April of 2019. He continued to pursue his passion for fisheries management while volunteering for a local watershed council. After the pandemic hit, we decided it was the right time to settle in and purchase our first home. We bought a home on 2 acres in October 2020, and Ryan nearly immediately quit his job. He wasn't happy there and wanted to focus solely on aligning his passions and expertise. Within two weeks, Ryan was offered a job at the University of Toledo to assist in fisheries research. We adopted our kitty, Oberon, by November, and grew our family to four.

We love to travel and decided to ambitiously plan to backpack in the Grand Canyon for our next big trip. Due to our seriously lacking planning skills, we pivoted to a trip in Great Smoky Mountain National Park (somewhere within driving distance) to get away for a few days before Thanksgiving. The first day was *perfect* - the weather, the scenery, the fellow hikers, and we arrived to our first shelter for the weekend pretty early. I could tell Ryan was restless. We ate snacks, walked around the site, and took in the views. As I was taking in the beautiful mountain view, I was grabbing for Ryan to hold me from behind to look with me. After a few attempts, I was confused and turned around to find him down on one knee. He had a wonderful speech, which ended in him forgetting to actually ask, “Will you marry me.” We giggled and I immediately said YES! The rest of the weekend was filled with love and excitement, and topped off with a treacherous hike back to our car through rain and wind.

We hope to stay true to ourselves, grow together, and find love in every day. We want to continue traveling, adventuring, and learning new things. Someday soon, we'd love to start a family of our own.