a day to remember

Josh I’ll never forget when Ashley first reached out. We were both scheduled for a rotation at a Navajo reservation in Arizona during our last year of pharmacy school, and she was looking for someone to hike with. I was nervous—would she really want to hike? How far would she go? I talked it over with Colson and Simon, who were living with me at the time. Colson said, “You’re going to fall in love with this girl!” Little did I know, he was right. My parents still tease me for doubting how far Ashley would want to hike. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I met Ashley in Sedona at an acai bowl shop and was initially struck by how beautiful she is. We had an incredible day hiking and we talked for hours. She showed me how smart and kind she is and we instantly became friends. We toured all over the city but all I remember is spending the day talking to Ashley. After hiking, she requested burgers & beers and I was even more impressed! I was really looking forward to our time together which would only overlap by about 2 weeks. Being on the Indian Reservation was wild. After my first day on rotation, Ashley and I went on a walk and she scared away multiple wild reservation dogs. Although there was not much for us to do on the reservation, we spent a lot of time together. One weekend, we traveled to Moab, UT. I had such a big crush on Ashley and I was nervous to make a move, worried that she did not feel the same about me. Eventually, I convinced her to watch the sunset and stargaze at a state park. We got Hawaiian pizza and set up a comfy spot on the edge of the canyon. We kissed and it was magical! I still cannot believe that she had also fallen for me. Our time in Tuba City flew by, and Ashley soon left for her next rotation in PA. I worried she’d move on once she wasn’t stuck in the desert with me… Luckily, Ashley and I have continued to flourish together as we have journeyed across the country. We are excited to celebrate our love with you & can’t wait to see you at the wedding! Ashley It was my last year of pharmacy school and I was about to leave for my rotation in a remote area of Arizona. Although I was excited to explore, I worried about hiking solo as a female. So my preceptor gave me the other student’s number. I thought that maybe I could convince them to hike with me. I texted Josh Pogue the next day. If you know Josh, you know there was zero convincing necessary to hike. I met him halfway between our locations — beautiful Sedona. A full day of hiking with someone you’ve never met is a commitment - what if we annoy each other, what if one of us can’t keep up, what if we run out of things to talk about?? I was nervous. Needless to say, we hiked for hours and none of those things happened. I had never spent time with someone that had so much to talk about and who wanted to get to know me so deeply. I was impressed by how caring, smart, and active he is. I knew Josh was special and that we met for a reason. From then on, we were inseparable. We cooked for each other, studied together, went on long walks, and even escaped wild dogs together. We planned a weekend trip to Moab, UT. Josh mentioned that it would be the perfect place to watch the stars & see the sunset. We also picked up Hawaiian pizza to go, since we learned that we both love it. As we were getting ready to go, I texted my friends asking if they thought it was a date – common response was “obviously.” That night was everything you could want in a first official date with your future spouse. I had to leave Arizona shortly after. I was worried that things would change between us once we returned to PA - it was almost too good to be true. A few weeks later, Josh came back to PA and we made things official. Since then, we have both completed residency training, moved 3 times, hiked countless trails, and seen over 100 sunsets. I am so excited to marry my soulmate surrounded by all of our favorite people.