We met via the dating app Bumble. For those not familiar, you swipe through a series of pictures until you find someone you like. In order to match, you both have to swipe for each other. With Bumble, only the woman can initiate the first conversation. NICOLE'S STORY: Nick had a picture of him walking a Cheetah on a leash from a family trip to South Africa. I was immediately equal parts intrigued and confused. I thought it was a typo, but nope, the cheetah really was named "Thandy". NICK'S STORY: She was pretty.

Shortly after, our first date took place on August 3, 2016 at Tuscan Kitchen in Salem, NH. We don't remember much about the date to be honest, but there are a few things that stick out in our memory. We call them our First Date Truths: 1.) We liked each other (most important!) 2.) It took place on a Wine Wednesday 3.) We ordered a giant meatball

Nicole soon left to go back to teaching in Vienna, Austria, and we continued to date from afar. The first 10 months were full of Skype sessions, FaceTime, and iMessages. Nick did come visit once or twice and we took some epic adventures around Austria and Italy. We knew it was the start of something truly unique and special.

It's often the everyday little moments that matter the most. Since moving in together about 4 years ago, we have found we have so much in common. There is much more to unite us than divide us. Some of these things include playing racquet sports together, kayaking and jet skiing on the Merrimack River, playing board games with friends, and watching cooking shows. Life is full of messy bits. Our relationship has endured long distance dating, new jobs, a global pandemic, and a major family crisis. Through it all we have stood by each other and have come out stronger.

Travel is something we both hold dear to our hearts. We find it is a great way to build fun memories and grow as a couple. To date, we have travelled to Portugal, Italy, Austria, Mexico, California, the Pacific Northwest, the Caribbean, and more. The pandemic has made travel the past few years kind of difficult, but we are excited and hopeful to see what the future brings. The best gift we can give each other is a life filled with adventures, whether around the world or right here in our own backyard.

We could literally spend pages telling you about how PERFECT this surprise proposal was. But luckily, we don't have to! It was so epic that it was covered by a local newspaper. It even went viral on Yahoo! https://news.yahoo.com/ms-white-marry-teacher-stunned-233323434.html