We're getting married!

Craig was living in Thousand Oaks, CA, as a freshman at California Lutheran University, while I was on the verge of starting nursing school at the University of Hawaii. We were both back in Seattle, our hometown, for winter break in 2013. At that time, we had "known of each other," but had never met or spoken, aside from the occasional like or comment on each other’s Instagram posts. It wasn’t until a freezing December evening in Seattle that we bumped into each other during a late-night outing. One thing led to another, and just a few days later, we found ourselves on our first date at Menchie's, eating frozen yogurt and talking for hours. To our surprise, we ended up chatting almost until the doors closed. Neither of us would have imagined that day would lead us to where we are now! After winter break, Craig flew back to LA, and I returned to Honolulu. The next six months were spent glued to our phones, engaged in constant text conversations. Each day, we talked about our plans to see each other again, eagerly anticipating a whole summer together. Fast forward to July 2014, after a long anticipated six-month wait for both of us. We spent the entire summer together, in both Seattle and Honolulu. It was the best summer of our lives. Looking back at those long summer days fills us both with nostalgia for when our love story began. It truly felt like a "storybook summer," straight out of a romcom or a YA fiction. We spent nearly every day together. Our adventures ranged from food truck festivals and park picnics to fancy dinners, hikes to concerts, and binge-watching “Breaking Bad" all day to staying out all night. We ended that summer as a couple. It was one of the best decisions we ever made! What began as a summer full of adventures quickly transformed into a decade of memories. We spent the next 10 years traveling back and forth to see one another, celebrating life’s biggest wins and cheering each other on from where ever we were. The adventures never stopped, and our love for each other continued to grow. We supported each other through both life's ups and downs, whether it be side by side or from states apart.

After a decade of adventuring through life together, Craig proposed on our 10-year anniversary. We spent a special weekend together at Turtle Bay Hotel on the North Shore. On our first day there, Craig suggested driving out to watch the sunset and see the turtles at our favorite beach nearby, Papa'iloa Beach. We walked for about twenty minutes to what he deemed the perfect spot to propose - a secluded area with a beautiful view and no one in sight, other than a few sea turtles. The entire time on the beach, Craig wore a big sun hat, even as the sun began to set and the sky grew dimmer. We took countless selfies, but I couldn't help but wonder why he kept that huge hat on in every single picture, especially since the sun was no longer in our eyes. As the sun began setting in its final seconds, I turned toward the skyline to capture one last picture of the view. When I turned back to share the moment with Craig, he started to remove his hat. As he did, I quickly realized why he hadn't taken it off until that very moment. The ring box was hidden underneath it the entire time! As Craig lifted his hat, he got down on one knee and proposed! It wasn’t until later that night, Craig told me that he had chosen that exact spot years ago. He always knew it was where he wanted to propose - the only place on the beach where the ocean collides, and the waves crash into each other, forming as one. It was perfect and symbolized us so well. Although we spent much of our time being an ocean apart, we always found a way to each other.