I spent most of the fall semester of my sophomore year at Reinhardt in my dad’s office. I would gossip with his assistant Angela, tell my dad about classes, my teachers, and eventually this cute boy I met in English Lit. Dad apparently knew all about Luke Madden. In fact, he was very impressed with his academic success. I wasn’t quite as concerned with his grades as I was with his hair, eyes, and cool clothes. I used to steal glances at Luke in class, obsess over his smile, and draw hearts all over my notes. I later found out Luke was VERY aware of my crush. I thought I was discreet, but I guess not. By the end of the semester, I had moved seats to right next to Luke, pretended to lose homework that I had already completed so I could get his number, and talked to him before and after every class. But, being a 17-year-old girl who had never had a boyfriend, I wasn’t confident enough to ask him to hangout. Soon, the semester ended. I thought, "I’ll text him over winter break and work my way up to a chill, laid-back hangout." Turns out my dad had a different plan. During winter break my friends planned a dinner to celebrate my 18th birthday. When I arrived I looked around the table and to my utter shock, Luke was sitting there, smiling......at me! The guy I’d been staring at for 4 months, who I’d barely spoken to outside of class, was attending my birthday dinner. I’m sure I looked very surprised. After a quick and probably awkward hug, I sat down and couldn’t stop smiling. I pretended to have to pee and left for the bathroom. I texted my mom, “LUKE IS HERE I AM DYING.” My two friends stepped into the bathroom and simply said, “Your dad told us to invite him…” That was it—I was hooked. I knew Luke was shy and introverted, so the fact that he showed up to my birthday party after being invited by complete strangers, I figured he must be in love with me. And the rest is history! A special thanks to my dad for giving us both the push we needed

Zoe and I love to travel, so when we planned our first trip to San Francisco this past summer, I knew it would be the perfect place to propose. We started the day by renting bikes and riding through Golden Gate Park, one thousand acres of nature stretching from the heart of downtown all the way to the coast. We pedaled past the unique architecture of the Conservatory of Flowers and the de Young Museum, took a peek at the Japanese Tea Garden, appreciated the majesty of a protected herd of American bison at the Bison Paddock, and enjoyed the beauty of the historic Dutch Windmill in the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden. We finished our ride with an expansive view of the Pacific Ocean and a tasty vegan lunch. From there, we made our way up the coast to explore Lands End. We traversed the windy, rocky trail at Lands End, taking in stunning views of the shoreline and—way in the distance—our first glimpse of the mighty Golden Gate Bridge, loving every minute of it. Our journey took us past windswept bluffs covered in wildflowers and even through a cliffside neighborhood. Finally, we reached Baker Beach, the Golden Gate Bridge growing larger and larger on the horizon with every step we took in its direction. We slipped our shoes off and dipped our toes into the cold ocean water. We spotted a rocky area that looked just right for some incredible photos and spent some time enjoying the view of the bridge. The entire day had gone perfectly, and climbing down off the rocks, I knew it was time to ask Zoe the question I’d been planning to ask for months. We found a secluded spot, and I asked her to turn around to take a picture of her looking at the bridge. I snapped a few photos to capture the moment before taking a knee and reaching in my pocket for the ring. She turned back toward me, and tears filled her eyes (and maybe mine too) almost instantly. And she said yes! It’s a memory I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Hand in hand, we continued along Batteries to Bluffs Trail, talking about our plans for the wide-open future with smiles on our faces. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the Presidio and the Golden Gate Bridge itself before eating dinner in Haight-Ashbury. From that moment, San Francisco became a permanent part of our story as a couple, and we couldn’t have asked for a better setting to start our engagement. We’re always looking forward to our next adventure, and we’re more excited than ever to start the biggest adventure of our lives. Together.