We met online, proving our disenchantment about the method wrong. His profile said he liked fishing & the outdoors. Mine talked about tacos & adventures. So naturally, we matched. Our first few dates were casual and included coffee, walks, and dinner. We bonded over our mutual love for coffee & everything outdoors. By the third date, we both felt that our connection was something special. Natural, familiar, simple - that's how we would describe it. Chris says, "It's the feeling you get when you realize something was missing, and it should have been there the whole time. And now, it's arrived and it just feels right." As we continued to date, we realized more and more how each of our dreams and values aligned so well with the other's. I didn't have to abandon my dream of living in a cabin in the woods, and he didn't have to give up on his dream of a lifetime of adventure and the outdoors. We've been planning our next adventure ever since!

It was a normal weekend in Michigan visiting Chris (or so I thought). We went to Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge to explore a new hiking trail. As the sun was setting, I wanted to take a photo to capture the beauty, so I invited Chris to jump in for a selfie. He stood behind me, and just as I was about to snap the photo, I saw Chris holding a ring box in the picture frame. Instead of capturing the moment, I dropped everything! I was so surprised and happy - my water bottle launched in one direction and my phone in the other. Chris knelt down and asked me to marry him, and our faces held smiles for the rest of the night. Chris is still annoyed at the fact that I missed the proposal picture, and I suppose that's what makes for a great story :)