Mary-Hannah & I met on an island of ice and fire in the North Atlantic during July of 2019. We were both working for the same company, me as a naturalist guide and her as an anthropological research intern. I remember the first time I saw her; I was the last one to walk through the door of the house we were staying in and there she stood at the top of the stairs. Our eyes met and I stood transfixed without a breath in my body. Finally, my brain remembered that I must breathe and we greeted one another. Similarly, Mary-Hannah recalls, “when we first met, I had an overwhelming sense that that introduction had just changed my life, though I couldn't yet explain how or why. Over the proceeding days, I'd find myself looking to you at any moment that I could and feeling peace whenever our eyes met, as if somehow you had always been my best friend." During the course of our time in Iceland, I always felt this sense of calm and happiness whenever MH & I spent time together: hiking, looking at rocks on rocks on rocks, identifying plants, traveling to different parts of the island, and just hanging out at the house. I was so curious about her; I wanted to know what her experiences had been, how they had shaped her, where she had been, what she had seen, learned, loved, and lost. I wanted to hear it all. I wanted to know everything. Our connection and chemistry was undeniable and the more time we spent together, the more we knew we never wanted to be apart.

It was 116°F as we drove through the Northern half of Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. The road was dirt and rumbled beneath the tires. My stomach was grumbly from the knots and all I wanted was for the car to make it to the Sun & the Moon so that I could propose to my best friend and the love of my life, Mary-Hannah Coyle. I could not wait and I did not care if the tires fell off and the engine exploded…I would deal with all that after...WE HAD TO GET THERE! Soon, the Temple of the Sun & the Moon came into my sight and I became even more elated and nervous...oh gosh...will I poop for the 4th time today and it is only high noon?! Although it was only 17 miles of road, it took an hour & a half of driving due to the terrain…but, we made it! It was super windy...the type of wind that loves to shove fine grain sands into your eyes and make you cry. I got out of the car and started fishing around in my pack for this little box I had been trying to keep hidden over the past few days. Once I retrieved the box, we took a few photos and then I had MH walk over to the base of the Moon Temple and do her best Moon dance...y'all should see the video. After her moon dance, MH turned around...she had something of an inquisitive look on her face. She noticed that I was down on one knee...here is where I started having tears. She probably thought I had fallen over and couldn't get up. I started speaking a jumble of words that ended with me asking if she would do me the honor of committing her heart to me as I had done to her…OH MY…SHE SAID…YES!!!...here is where she started crying...and all my nerves were washed away with the sensation of pure joy. I then explained all the components of the ring to her and how I had been having it made since August of 2020…although, I had known even long before that time that I wished to marry Mary-Hannah.