The day was hot, as are most days in AZ, Zach had just finished his last flight for the day and had one more student to brief with. He needed a drink. Tall Coors Light perhaps? A few of his buddies were hitting the local watering hole. Thats when he saw her, standing in all of her glory. She was cute, with short brown hair and her blue eyes sparkled in the desert sun. He had to talk to her, but how? Maybe he could ask her to cover his last student for the day, and invite her to a party later that week. It had to work. Her name was Amanda and she agreed to take his last student for the day and thought the Oktoberfest party with her new co-workers sounded fun! Zach and Amanda got along great, and Zach decided to ask her out on their first date. A short rollerblade to get some ice cream, Amanda’s favorite. As they gained experience flight instructing, Zach and Amanda obtained jobs at SkyWest Airlines and moved in together in MN. After a year of working in MN, an opportunity arose for them to move back to AZ. In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed life drastically and the aviation industry came to a screeching halt. The silver lining for the couple, was the extra time at home. They used that time to camp in Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado and Minnesota. How could you not love a girl that has such a passion for adventure? Amanda stole Zach’s heart and he bought a ring... In July of 2020, Zach and Amanda took a road trip to MN. While camping near a secluded lake in Telluride, the moment was right. The couple took a walk to enjoy the view and some cold spaghetti, surprisingly yummy camp meal. Surrounded by large Aspens, a lake and a perfect view of the mountains, Zach dropped to one knee and asked: “Amanda Rae, will you marry me?” She said yes! It was the best day of their lives. The newly engaged couple spent the rest of the night talking and enjoying a bottle of wine in their hammock, excited to see what the future holds..