Zach and Valerie’s paths crossed on a Hinge date in September of 2020 at Vonn’s in Seattle, followed by some late-night Thai food. Their days of sitting at home during the pandemic quickly turned into golf outings, hikes, and enjoying takeout meals together. Neither of them looked back once Zach saw Valerie swing a golf club, and when Valerie asked Zach what he was doing when he got home from their first date, to which he replied, “Finishing off the last couple of bites of my leftover chicken pad thai!” and she was doing the exact same!

I had mentioned to Zach a long time ago that I really wanted to hike up in the North Cascades National Park to see the golden larches, which only happens for a few short weeks in the fall. In October of 2022, Zach took me to camp near Blue Lake during larch season. On the way there, I thought he was crazy as we drove through towns filled with smoke from wildfire season, but the air at our campsite was completely clear upon our arrival! On our morning hike alongside our dog Rosie, we reached a serene spot overlooking the lake. As the sun peaked over the mountains, Zach got down on one knee and proposed! The surprise left me speechless, and I wholeheartedly said yes! - Valerie