Our love story started like any classic fairytale: on a dating app, swiping through countless profiles until we found our prince and princess. And trust me, there were a LOT of frogs. But then Scott found my profile and liked it, and something about his Hawaiian shirt in his profile picture caught my eye, so I liked him back. Once we matched, we quickly connected, texting about our mutual love for soccer (we matched during the 2022 World Cup) and Healdsburg. We eventually agreed to meet in person, but even that wasn’t easy. I had to reschedule twice, and on the third attempt, I was feeling tired and reluctant to go out on a first date. However, I knew Scott might lose interest if I canceled again, so I pushed myself to go. I'm so glad I did because from that first date, where Scott made me laugh all night and walked me home, serenading me with a Christmas carol (at my request, for those rolling their eyes!), it was clear there was something special between us.

It was a beautiful spring afternoon on Katherine’s birthday, and we were hiking up Mt. Tamalpais near our house. The ring had been burning a hole in my pocket for some time, but on that spring day I had finally got all my ducks in line: permission from Mark and Joyce had been granted, my family had been notified – she even had a fresh manicure! As we walked along the Hoo-Koo-E-Koo trail, I looked for a comfortable place to kneel down. No luck, it was all rock. Oh well. I turned to her to explain how I felt about her and our relationship, feelings unlike any I have had before. She looked confused and slightly alarmed about the change of tone in my voice – not the reaction I was expecting. Alas, there was no turning back. I carried on with my proclamation of love, only to be interrupted by a noisy gang of mountain bikers zooming past us. Once that was over, she started to realize what was happening as I fumbled around in my backpack for the ring. It sparkled under the California sunshine as I held it up to her. The next few moments are a bit of a blur, but I remember the important part – she said yes! Having put a ring on it, we happily walked down the hill and enjoyed the rest of her birthday. It was a good day.