Dan and I met the summer of 2022 through mutual friends and hangouts at the lake. I worked at the bar up the street and Dan would come in with his friends on the weekends. We used to hang out after my shifts, sharing a few drinks and lots of laughs. It didn't take long for me to realize Dan was my guy. Each weekend would pass and I would find myself asking, "When is Dan coming home again?". I got this wild idea to invite him on a trip to florida with a few other friends. What was supposed to be a trip with a group of friends, unexpectedly turned into a trip with just Dan and I. Instead of cancelling, we thought "Why the heck not?" Everyone thought we were crazy, including us. We spent that week exploring, laughing, being vulnerable, sharing our wildest dreams and our biggest fears. An instant connection that we thought was innocent quickly grew into a love like no other. With the nature of Dans career, and the distance, if we hadn't spent that week together I'm not sure we would have gotten the chance to truly get to know each other and decide to take the leap. Since that trip we knew we wanted more time together. Even if it were the small moments he was able to make it home. Although it hasn't always been easy, its definitely been worth it. A summer we will never forget, a summer that gave us our forever.