Travis moved to Des Moines, Iowa in the summer of 2020 to obtain his Occupational Therapy Doctorate from Drake University. Having recently graduated from the University of Iowa, Machaella moved to Des Moines in the winter to start her career as a Judicial Specialist at the Polk County Courthouse. Having much more spare time than she was used to, Machaella figured it would be worthwhile to join a gym, and selected the nearby Anytime Fitness. She was then coerced into group training by a passionate employee. This class was later revealed to be taught by Travis, as he was a personal trainer at the time. When Machaella was repeatedly the only one who showed up for the class and she and Travis started chatting about their love of Spongebob, the rest was history. We began dating in the fall of 2021.

Travis graduated with his OTD in the spring of 2023, and the couple decided it was time for a fresh start with better job opportunities. His friend Marcus lived in the Milwaukee area, and Travis was thus encouraged to apply for jobs in the city. Both Travis and Machaella were able to land promising jobs and got a downtown apartment. After 3 years of exploring all the city has to offer, we can confidently say that Milwaukee is one of the most underrated cities out there! In the spring of 2025, we bought our first house and began the homeowner experience.

On August 31, 2024, Travis took Machaella on an elaborate Bachelor themed date featuring a helicopter tour of the city, a swan boat ride, and a lakefront proposal. Marcus and his wife, Sofie, hid and took photos of the event. We later made our way to a local brewery where many friends and family surprised Machaella and helped us celebrate.