Cole and Alondra briefly crossed paths back in high school at a state fair, but the timing wasn’t quite right. Years later, they both attended NAU—though with Alondra a year ahead, they somehow managed to keep just missing each other. Then in 2022, fate stepped in through Hinge (which neither of them was taking very seriously at the time). After a few charming, slightly goofy messages (one specifically made-up story about pouring Vodka on a Christmas tree and starting a fire) , they decided to meet in person. Their first date was an intense hike—picked by Cole, of course—but between the sunshine, the views, and the shared breathlessness, something just clicked. Somewhere during those first few dates, they realized they were always looking for reasons to stretch their time together a little longer—one more walk, one more conversation, one (or two) more glasses of wine, one more laugh. What started as a casual first date quickly turned into countless adventures, their own wine tasting (where Alondra opened all 4 bottles Cole bought..oops..), inside jokes, and the comfort of knowing they’d found their favorite person to do life with.