See you in the desert!

Dana and Jim crossed paths a few times at Indiana University through mutual friends, but it wasn’t until the beginning of the second semester of their senior year that they officially met. Dana worked up the courage to introduce herself to Jim at Kilroy’s Sports Bar, and from there, things started falling into place. Soon after meeting, Jim invited Dana to his fraternity's Valentine’s Day party. Over the next few months, they grew closer, attending each other’s sorority/fraternity formals in Nashville and spending more time together. A few months into getting to know each other, Dana was going to Coachella and had an extra free ticket. Though it felt like a bit of a leap, she invited Jim to join her. Jim couldn’t believe his luck and immediately accepted! They traveled from Indiana to California together to have a weekend that turned out to be one of the best times either of them had ever had, and it was then that they truly fell for each other. After graduation, Dana moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Entertainment, while Jim stayed in Indiana for a year-long graduate program in Technology. Despite the distance, they saw something special in each other and chose to make long distance work, visiting whenever they could. When Jim landed a job in New York City after finishing grad school, Dana—who had always wanted to move to NYC—agreed to make the move with him. To mark the occasion, Jim had a custom t-shirt made for her that read, “F*ck it, let’s go to New York,” which Dana thought was the cutest thing ever. The next few years were filled with unforgettable adventures in New York and around the world. When COVID hit, though life in New York became isolating, it brought Dana and Jim so much closer together. A year into COVID, while stuck in their small apartment, they started dreaming of a move back to the west coast—where they could be closer to family. After four incredible years in the city, they moved to Los Angeles in Fall 2022. For many years, Jim knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Dana. After more than six years together, and with their return to California, he felt the time was right for a proposal. Hawaii had been their first real vacation together in 2018 and held a special place in their hearts. During an unforgettable trip to the Big Island of Hawaii in 2021, Jim decided that would be the perfect place to pop the question. Thanks to a lucky break, Rachel (the best future sister-in-law ever!) offered to let Jim hijack her grad school gift (a trip of her choice) so he could propose in the place he had always dreamt of. After some thorough planning (and some deception on Rachel’s part), Jim proposed on the Big Island in June 2023. The moment went exactly as planned, and Dana was taken completely by surprise! Since then, Dana and Jim have continued to build their life in LA, surrounded by new friends, new experiences, and of course, more unforgettable travels and adventures.