We met in October of 2015 in Fort Myers, Florida​ on G-Harmony.. No that's not an online dating website. It was our job! Turns out, when recruiters for Gartner are tasked to hire "like-minded individuals" they are indirectly acting as matchmakers for awaiting love birds like us. Three months into working together, one volleyball championship under our belt, and a high school semesters worth of chemistry between us, I finally muscled up the courage to ask Kaylin out on a date. Safe to say 'Paint with a Twist' was a big hit - wine is clearly the way to a woman's heart. Only kidding- it's puppies and food. It was only a matter of time before we moved in together, bought a puppy, moved to Georgia, and got engaged, but I'll save that story for the next column.

April 21st, we decided to take a weekend trip to Lake Toxaway, North Carolina.. A small, remote town hidden deep within the mountains close to the South Carolina border. We spent the day settling into our cozy cabin, venturing from scenic view to scenic view along the mountain, and hiking the beautiful trails of Lake Toxaway. After returning to the cabin, preparing and enjoying a home cooked meal together, s'mores were the last item on the agenda for the night.. or so she thought. Little did she know, s'more was in store!! (as I got down on the floor and swore to care for and adore her and ignore the girl that lives next door - sorry I got carried away) Before the s'mores though, we couldn't help but enjoy each other's company in front of the campfire as we gazed upon the starry night. Knowing that was my perfect moment, I tossed my chair aside, got down on one knee, and asked her to marry me. As you may have guessed, she did say yes!

It was a day before the weekend when I asked Zach if we could runaway to the mountains for a night. There was an Airbnb I found tucked away in a mountain and wanted to explore some new trails and enjoy each others company without distractions from things like cell service. We booked immediately and Saturday morning we packed up the car, dropped Luna off at "camp" and headed to the mountains. On our way in Lake Toxaway we passed a cute, modern/rustic looking church on a hill and I made Zach stop so I could get out an take some pictures of it. I had told him how much I love the idea of getting married in the mountains but didn't discuss any further since I knew we weren't getting engaged yet. I was convinced he was FOR SURE proposing the following month on my birthday weekend so I didn't bother doing the basic necessities that most woman dream of having done- like my nails, washing my hair, bringing clothes that didn't stretch, etc. We spent our day hiking and at the end of our hike we sat on some rocks near the waterfall and in front of us on another big rock we witnessed a couple get engaged! Of course I made a comment about how cute it was but again- let it go because he was FOR SURE proposing on my birthday weekend. After hiking we went back to the cabin, made dinner and sat outside enjoying a glass of wine on the porch swing. Once it started to get dark Zach made a campfire... HERE'S WHERE IT GETS JUICY! Zach and I were in a deep conversation about love when he stands up abruptly, FLIPS HIS CHAIR WITH HIS HAND, and tells me that we aren't yet committed enough and he drops down on one knee and asks me to marry him. Leading up to this moment I thought I'd cry, but in the moment I was so shocked I couldn't even comprehend what was happening. After a very excited YES! and 10 minutes of repeating the same words like "wow, omg, I can't believe this.." the tears found me. It's the best surprise of my life!