Short answer: We met through a mutual friend. Long answer: Dolan reached out to our mutual friend showing an interest in me. He was under the impression that our friend put in a good word for him. However, our mutual friend never told me who he was or that he was even interested in the first place. I got a message a day later from this stranger, aka Dolan. At first, I thought nothing of it. But one message led to a summer of two people simply becoming friends and getting to know each other through texts and calls. August came and it was time for me to move to Fort Myers (FGCU). It was a couple of weeks of going over syllabi and getting settled before I met Dolan in person. My maid of honor, Kelsey, and I decided to go out one Friday night and have some fun! After some dancing, I spotted him. It sounds cheesy but we saw each other at the same time without even knowing it. I said, "I think that's Dolan," to Kelsey, and as soon as I did my phone lit up with a text asking if I was there. From then on we became inseparable best friends who grew feelings for one another. Within months we were living together and got our dog Lilo :) Some would think we're crazy... but we just call it love.

If you know Dolan and I, you know we love adventure and we prioritize it in our relationship. The summer of 2019 was definitely a wild adventure. We had been planning our backpacking trip for a year prior to May when we left for Europe for an entire month. He carried the ring in his backpack from London, Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, Paris, and lastly Ireland. He said after we got back, there were three or four times on the trip that he almost proposed but the best and most memorable opportunity came on the Cliffs of Moher. The weather was unforgettable because it was so horrible. The visibility was very bad because of fog and mist, and the wind was so strong I was surprised we weren't picked up and carried away. We started our trek towards the end of the cliffs where there were fewer people and a slightly better view. I could tell something was off because he was nervously fidgeting with something in his pocket and got the GoPro ready with the tripod. I remember joking about the crazy couple yards away getting too close to the edge for a selfie. When I turned around he was on one knee with teary eyes and a big smile. It was the best view a girl could ask for.