It all started with a trip to Scottsdale, where Lauren went to visit her sister, Megan, during her perfusion rotation. Little did Lauren know, that weekend would mark the beginning of her love story. One night out in Old Town, Lauren and Megan ended up at a local bar called Giligans. Coincidentally, Ben and his friends happened to be there - right place, right time. Ben, as usual, ordered a rum and diet coke (with a lime), and spotted the most beautiful woman and her "friend" across the bar. Captivated by her, he mustered up some liquid courage, and with one of his buddies in tow, decided to approach her with a cheesy pick-up line. He walked over without any preparation and said: “Excuse me, sorry to interupt. My friend and I are trying to settle a debate and need your help. If you had to guess, how much does a polar bear weigh?” The beautiful woman and her friend laughed, as that was the last thing they expected to hear. After many guesses ranging from 150 pounds to over 1,000 pounds accompanied by a lot of laughter, Ben grinned and said: “Honestly, I think a polar bear weighs enough to break the ice. Hi, my name is Ben Shein!” The beautiful woman turned out to be Lauren Solano and the "friend" was Megan Solano, Lauren's older sister. That simple (and yes, very cheesy) pick-up line eventually led to a fun weekend in Old Town Scottsdale. What started as a happenstance encounter soon blossomed into something much more. This led to Ben flying to Michigan for the first time in the middle of December during snow and freezing cold temperatures. Followed by a long-distance relationship consisting of phone calls, FaceTimes, and countless visits between San Diego, CA (where Ben moved shortly after we met), Phoenix, AZ, and West Bloomfield, MI. After two years of long distance, in December 2025, Lauren took the leap and moved to Phoenix, Arizona to live with Ben (where they currently reside). In the middle of June 2025, The Friedland Family (Friedland's, Shein's, Kroot's, and Cabral's) decided to take a family trip, continuing a family tradition that has been in existence before Ben was even born, to celebrate Harriet and Jack Friedland's 85th birthday in Kona, Hawaii and stay at the Fairmont Orchid. During this trip on June 16, 2025, Ben planned and executed the most romantic sunset beach proposal which was followed by tears, FaceTimes to Lauren’s family, and popping bottles of champagne, but most importantly, one big "YES"!