Our story is a long one best told over a cup of coffee, local beer, or our favorite ice cream. Our story is one that makes us both stop and say, "it was always meant to be." We met our last summer of high school while attending NC Governor's School East where we both studied math... in the summer... for fun. We quickly found ourselves in the same research class trading notes on descriptive sequences and knot theory. (See, we told you - fun!) It became your typical "guy and girl fall for one another but are too shy to act on it" story. Thankfully, we do have a few photos together to prove we shared the same space for those six weeks, AND you'll also find a sweet note in Dana's summerbook from Jordan: "I really wish Math Rob had dyed his hair blue."

Over the next few years, our paths crossed only twice while undergrads at UNC Chapel Hill. Though, if you asked us now, we would both agree that we never forgot about each other over that time. It wouldn’t be until after Jordan began a dental residency program in Juneau, Alaska that we would reconnect – almost ten years from when we first met. Jordan sent Dana a short “Happy Birthday!” message via facebook. (As the kids would say, he slid into her DMs.) After Dana quickly confirmed that Jordan had plans to relocate back home to North Carolina, we began finding time to talk daily (despite the four hour time difference) and soon started dating long distance. The next year included MANY late night Facetimes, several flights between Alaska and NC, and only a few people wondering if we were both crazy. And, yes, we were – crazy in love.

Remember, how we said our story is a long one? The proposal story is long in itself (again, best told over drinks or dessert) that we are happy to share – with two perspectives and endless laughs thrown in for free. While the pandemic was not kind to Jordan’s proposal plans, it does has set up for quite an eventful storytelling. And as unbelievable as it may be, it is all true and only more proof to us both that “it was always meant to be.” The ending, to keep it short, was a proposal beneath the Bell Tower on the campus we both love and now enjoy exploring together.

Photos: Carly Fogleman Photography