We’ve known each other for a long time... like since we were kids long. We went to the same elementary/middle school and grew up as family friends. Over the years, our paths crossed here and there, including in 2018 when we worked together. But it wasn’t until 2022, on a night out with mutual friends, that everything really changed. From that point on, we were pretty much inseparable. There was an immediate sense of ease and peace in being together. We shared the same sense of humor, so many similarities, and somehow balanced each other perfectly in the ways we were different. It felt natural, familiar, and easy... like something that had always been there. The first few years of our relationship included a lot of long distance while Ryan was playing professional baseball. It wasn’t always easy being apart, but it only brought us closer. We learned how to communicate, support each other from afar, and show up in all the ways that mattered most. Ryan retired in 2024, and since then, we’ve been building our everyday life together. Some of our favorite memories have been made traveling and showing up for one another, including time together in North Carolina with a mini trip to Wilmington, Ryan coming to my graduation in Malibu, and a birthday beach trip to Laguna, to name a few. When we’re not traveling, we love the simple things: working out, cooking, listening to music, binge-watching shows, cheering on the Steelers, and laughing at our endless stupid jokes. There’s also a lot of random dancing, late-night second winds, and a mutual understanding of each other’s little quirks. On August 23, 2025, during a family vacation in La Jolla, one of my favorite places growing up, Ryan proposed. It was the most perfect day, by the water with a beautiful sunset, and getting to celebrate afterward with family made it even more special. La Jolla now holds our favorite memory yet. As we look ahead, we’re most excited about building a life together, creating a home, sharing the small everyday moments, facing challenges as a team, exploring new places, and doing life side by side. We can’t wait for everything still to come.