Katie and I first laid eyes on each other in the Summer of '08 at Camp Massanetta in Harrisonburg. A few counselors were gathered around the baby pool (no water mind you, a common hangout place at the time). As one does at camp, we would take turns playing songs together on the same beat-up guitar. There was a tall, dark beautiful girl there who at the time I was either too shy or foolish to introduce myself to, but hoped my songs would garner enough attention for her to talk to me. When our time was up, we went our separate ways without speaking but continued to inquire about each other through friends and social media (stalking basically). It would be years before we'd cross paths, once again at camp. Finding one on one moments at camp can be difficult as you're usually surrounded by people, but we found each other one day on the old playground and finally talked for hours on the swings. While she continues to deny it, she spoke for both of us one day on the comfy sofa of the old hotel where she quietly but firmly confessed her attraction to me. Perhaps I could have done the same had I not been spoken for at the time. Nevertheless, we had found common ground including a strong shared love for Disco, old movies, and Clone High. There was no going back now. And finally, after my family had moved to Jacksonville, Florida, Katie posted on Facebook (see, still stalking) that she and a friend needed a ride home from college in Ashville, NC. I swooped in. Looking back, I’m so glad that I felt comfortable crashing her family's Thanksgiving. It was this event that brought us closer than ever to a relationship that one can only describe as 'meant to be.' Eventually, Katie moved up to Charlottesville where we have lived and made a life together, (in spite of our cat, Kashmere) We are so lucky to have such love, not only with each other but with our family and friends. We can't wait to celebrate this new chapter together!

When searching for the right ring, it's important to find the one that speaks to you. With Katie in mind, I wanted something unique but delicate. I wanted the one that would tell her apart from the others, the one that would finally tie us together forever. I settled on rose gold because duh, it's literally pink gold, how can one resist? The deep teal of the aquamarine stone and small stubs coupled with the swirls of rose gold was the perfect ring for Katie: it stood out amongst the crowd with the kind of loveliness that only an old soul can possess. The ring arrived at about the same time I was coming to from a seizure, an experience that further solidified my love for Katie and my desire to spend forever with her. A viral infection led to an auto-immune reaction that caused my brain to swell. While I was comatose for 2 days, Katie faced her greatest fear to be by my side: flying. After suffering 2 flights, she stayed diligently by my side before and after I woke up. Once I saw her standing in that ICU, I knew. I never wanted us to part. Never Again. Virginia houses all kinds of wonders, particularly old broken down buildings of bygone eras. Swannanoa Palace is one of these mistreated beauties, ravaged by both the public and time. While we walked the Palace, freezing from the recent snow, we imagined the old haunt in its heyday: its crumbling marble fireplaces and statues whole again, the custom wood engravings unbroken. Perhaps there, we were the king and queen we saw ourselves as. In some way already promised to each other. From the North Tower, you can see the entire Shenandoah with the Blue Ridge Mountains stretching beyond sight. It was there, where all of the world seemed at our frozen fingertips, that I found a knee and asked Katie to marry me...frozen fingertips and all.