We are getting married!

The cool Arizona breeze of April was a distant memory when Kim and I first met. It was May 2nd, and we met at Kim's favorite hangout spot, Match Coffee Shop. We had met on a dating app called Hinge and had been talking for a few weeks. At the time, meeting someone online was the norm, as COVID had forced everyone inside and onto their phones. Match was her haven and her prison because this is where she would spend long hours studying with her classmates. To me, it was an out-of-the-way stop downtown on my way to the Navajo Nation, nearly five hours away. At the time, I was working on a project in Dilkon, AZ, a town on the Nation. So there I was, in a cutoff pair of sweats with my rez dog, Chitter. Her and I chatted about getting coffee, but we both really wanted a beer after a long, hot Sunday, so we ordered two. We sat and enjoyed each other’s company, and I remember trying to make her laugh as much as I could. I remember her eyes would squint and her head would draw back when I was really hitting her funny bone. We found out that we had so much in common. Not only were we both from Washington State, we had both gone to Western Washington University. Not only had we both graduated in 2017, we had both graduated in the spring and walked in the same morning ceremony. What are the chances of that? In fact my brother Maxwell, and roommate, Gera, had even taken a class with her. It wasn’t long before I knew I had to hit the road. As I got up to pay and make one last restroom stop, I asked if she could watch my dog. This was a big test: could she handle such a unique dog? Well, this was before I had met the infamous Shih Tzu, Louie. When I got back, I was pleased to see Chitter relaxing patiently next to her feet as she texted someone back. If you know Chitter, you know he has very expressive eyes; he was saying, “I like her.” It wasn’t long after that day at the Match coffee shop that I knew she would be the one I would marry. If you’ve never fallen in love with someone under the Arizona stars, I’ll tell you, it's a surreal feeling. The heat off the midnight pavement, the sounds of the desert nightlife, and the crisp, dry air of a morning sunrise will always make me think of the months I spent falling in love with Kimmy Jean. Washington State will always be our home, but Arizona will always be the place where we fell in love.

I had absolutely no idea. I didn’t even know he had a ring. We were in Phoenix for the wedding of one of Marshall’s best friends and staying at my best friend Amanda’s house. Two of my other best friends happened to be in town that same weekend, so I was mainly focused on catching up with them—and recovering from a very fun (and very late) wedding night. The next morning, Marshall suggested we take a drive in the Tesla he had rented—he was excited about the car and wanted to show me how it handled. I was planning to head out in my comfies, but he said we were meeting friends for brunch and that I needed to “get ready–ready.” I didn’t think much of it. Maybe a little suspicious in hindsight, but alas, I put on a respectable outfit and went with it. We drove to our old neighborhood in the Coronado district, where we used to live, and talked about the night before, the city, and the memories we had from living there. When we got to our old street, he parked a few houses down and asked if I wanted to take a walk and grab coffee at one of our favorite spots. Walks and coffee are always an easy sell. When we reached our old house, Marshall asked if he could take a photo of me in front of it. I turned to walk toward the house, and as I turned back around, I noticed two people getting out of a car and filming me. I didn’t recognize them, and for a second I panicked, thinking we were about to get yelled at for trespassing. Then I turned toward Marshall—and he was down on one knee. Total shock. I fully blacked out. But I did say YES! Afterward, the mystery strangers turned out to be our photographers, and we walked through the neighborhood taking photos and stopped at our old favorite coffee shop. I kept saying we were going to be late for brunch, but Marshall finally admitted, “There is no brunch.” Instead, we picked up catering and went back to Amanda’s house, where our friends had decorated everything with photos, a mimosa bar, and flowers. We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out by the pool and celebrating together, soaking it all in. It was simple, thoughtful, and felt exactly like us.