“Would you mind picking up a new vocalist tomorrow morning?” This was the text Dan received one Saturday evening from a worship leader at Providence Baptist Church. Dan was a junior studying Computer Science at NC State at the time, and served in the college worship ministry playing in the band. Danielle was a freshman studying Industrial Design at NC State, and was the new vocalist that needed a ride. Dan agreed and the next morning was greeted by Danielle's energetic 'hello' as he was still waking up at 7:45 am. Over the next few years in college, their paths crossed frequently even though they were several years apart and in completely different majors. They built a simple and easy friendship and found themselves catching up in passing about music they liked, side projects they were working on, and things they were learning (like theories of art and history of jazz).

Dan graduated in December 2013, and spent 6 months in Central Asia before coming back to Raleigh to begin work as a Software Engineer. Danielle graduated in May of 2014 and began working as a creative project manager at SAS. They both continued to serve at church, helping to lead small groups and serve on the worship team. During this year, Dan and Danielle started to notice each other a bit more than years prior. From friend's birthday parties, church corn-hole tournaments, or running into each other at Global Village Coffee, their friendship continued to grow as the two shared more life together. After some time (a year), and multiple promptings from friends, Dan decided to ask Danielle on a date. A little nervous, Dan gave Danielle a ring, and after realizing Dan was not calling her about filling in for singing last minute at church, they agreed to meet up for a dinner at Sola Coffee. Ask Dan how they found themselves having their first date at Panera instead...lol.

As these events were unfolding, Danielle had just accepted a job in Portland Oregon - literally a day before Dan asked her on a date! They went on a few low-key dates to see what a relationship would look like: bike rides around Shelley lake, rock climbing with friends, card games in the park, and early morning breakfasts at Whole Foods (with Danielle still being energetic and Dan struggling to think coherently at 7:45 in the morning). Then the day drew near when Danielle would pack up her life in a few suitcases and fly across country. After enjoying so much time together they decided to pursue a long-distance relationship which prompted bigger conversations: would long distance work? How? Who would travel where? Is it worth it? But both wanted to give it a try. Danielle moved to Portland June 2015 and thus began their long-distance adventure. Skype calls, Google hangouts, and a 3-hour time difference became a part of life. Danielle would get off of work to call Dan who was settling in before bed. Every few months Dan or Danielle would fly out to the other, working remotely for a few days or so at a time. It was a fun season of their relationship exploring places in both Raleigh and Portland they enjoyed as Portland became home for Danielle and a second home for Dan. They enjoyed adventures on Mt Hood, time with family and friends, cappuccinos at local coffee spots, camping in Umpqua National Forrest, and hikes in the Columbia River Gorge or Umstead Park. They met in a different city once or twice and made the most of traveling to see each other. It was also a hard season. Not seeing someone you care about in person for months at a time can turn physical distance into relational distance. They both had to learn how to communicate, how to trust each other, and how to fight for their relationship. They wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but would encourage any couple thinking of long distance to try it - it’s worth it.

After a year or so, Danielle and Dan were realizing the inevitable: one of them would need to move to continue their relationship. The next year was a long process of considering each other’s needs, wants, and fears. Dan looked for jobs in Portland, but came up short. In the end, they made the decision to continue their relationship in Raleigh as much as Danielle and Dan loved Portland. Dan flew out to Portland in September 2017 and Danielle began a 2 week road-trip back to Raleigh. Together they visited friends in California, saw towering Redwoods and the waterfalls of Yosemite. They drove through Nevada and explored Zion, Bryce, and Arches National partk in Utah. They saw early morning sunrises, got caught in a monsoon while camping, and sat under the stars at midnight without the lights of a city distracting them. They drove to Colorado and saw the remnants of old Puebloan homes in the rocks of Mesa Verde. In Denver, Dan flew back out to Raleigh and Danielle continued with her Dad. They went through the Rockies, the plains of Kansas and through St Louis. They went to Nashville and then met up with Danielle's Mom in Asheville. Danielle then went on to complete the final stretch of the adventure solo across the blue ridge parkway and into Charlotte. A week later Danielle was back in Raleigh and there were back in the same city. How the first few days were amazing and strange all at the same time. It took some time to wrap our heads around it all.

After living in the same city for a year, Dan knew he wanted to marry Danielle—and she felt the same way. He spent some time trying to plan and prepare the perfect proposal story. But - some things didn't work out according to plan. The plan was a surprise picnic at the NCMA on Saturday, but the forecast called for rain that weekend, and a lot of it! Dan had invited family and friends for a celebration party, so it had to happen! Plan B went into action. Instead, Dan planned a special surprise proposal & party at SOLA Cafe. He coordinated with the owner, got friends and family involved to surprise Danielle and put the plans in motion. He even made a photo book of some of their favorite moments together. The stage was set. When the day came, Dan and Danielle walked into the cafe and immediately learned SOLA was having a separate celebration party (literally! celebrating 7 years as a business). A band was playing outside and all eyes were on the two of them (because the window into the space Dan reserved was WAY bigger than Dan remembered). After a little nervousness, they regained composure and walked through a book of memories Dan had created. First date, road trip, camping, and many more memories were celebrated. Then, nearly falling out of his chair, Dan got on one knee, unveiled a ring, and asked Danielle to marry him. And she said yes!