Let's set the stage, shall we? It was August 2017 in Gainesville, Florida. It was hot as hell outside and Amanda and Tripp were attending orientation for graduate school. Amanda was toward the front with some friends, most likely wearing a cheque blazer or some sort of professional attire. Tripp was in the back row in jeans…jeans! In Florida! As for friends? Tripp was rolling Han Solo. A lone wolf, if you will. At the end of the riveting orientation, everyone had to stand up and introduce themselves. The room was tense. Would people remember vital information about who they were as humans? Names forgotten? Places of birth erased from their memories? Areas of research vanished like dust in the wind? The plot thickens. There were about 50 people at the orientation, and Amanda stood up first. She gave a rousing introduction of herself, speaking enthusiastically about her research, hobbies, and even throwing in some fun stuff about herself. She closed with a warm invitation for people to stop by her office. "If anyone needs coffee, I have a Keurig!" People were stunned! A Keurig?! In her office? This girl was the real deal! After 49 people had gone, there was only one left…Tripp. He had no research interest. He didn't have a Keurig. He was literally in the very back row just thinking to himself. “God. I hate wearing pants.” Without any impressive accolades, he had to think hard about what he could say to his new peers so that they would take him seriously. A lightbulb went off in his head. He had it! “So, one time I was sitting on a bench outside of this Bubba Gump restaurant on the Las Vegas strip at 7 a.m. People kept coming up to me and asking for photos. Posing next to me like I was a movie star,” he said. “I thought I was America’s next top model. I had been discovered! Unfortunately, I had been mistaken for a Forrest Gump impersonator – the Forrest Gump that ran across the country.” He sat down. Amanda turned to her friend and said, "That is the crunchy man of my dreams." Little did Tripp know; she was the scientific dreamboat of his dreams. Amanda and Tripp became close friends after orientation. She would explain topics like independent variables, dependent variables, and complex theoretical models. Tripp would listen and then ask what animated movies she had seen lately. To his dismay, she was not up-to-date with cinematic classics such as The Lorax. Then, after some time had passed, they got together and never looked back. Tripp is now an honorary "girlie." Amanda has been added to several Taylor family group chats. And now, they prepare to transition into the ultimate relationship status: a shared phone plan. Seriously, on March 18th, two best friends get to stand in front of a bunch of their other best friends and get married. They are very much looking forward to celebrating this day with all of you.

Tripp and Amanda were meeting up at a research conference in Seattle, Washington (nerds). Amanda thought it was just a regular trip, one where they would catch up with friends, listen to research talks, and explore Seattle. However, Tripp had other plans. He had been working for the past three months to get a ring. There was already a diamond, in fact, it was his grandfather's from many moons ago. With the assistance of his sister and mom, he picked out a setting via FaceTime from a family jeweler back in Bama, and the stone ring was forged! It was then mailed to him via USPS. This was so stressful. They literally almost lost it. When asked about this experience, Tripp only offered, “No comment.” When the ring arrived in Saint Augustine, Tripp admired it. It was perfect! The perfect ring for the perfect girl! But it was missing a box. After perusing the interwebs for ring boxes, which are insanely expensive, even just those lame black felts ones, he thought about things Amanda loves. A coffee can as a box? No… too obvious. Perhaps inserted into a vegan chocolate snack? No…that would make it non-vegan. Then he remembered – Amanda is an admirer of old, weathered wood that has character and story. Tripp immediately reached out to his friend, Coday-Mos (or Cody), that is an incredible woodworker and human. Please, visit his site now…we are serious. Cody told Tripp he had recovered wood from an old oak tree that had fallen on a farm during a hurricane. From this old oak, Cody crafted a beautiful box for this ring. Things were falling into place. Fast forward back to Seattle. On the first day of the conference, it was business as usual. We will not take up space recounting stale muffins, overpriced drinks, and research. We will note that Tripp was dying inside. He just wanted to ask this girl to marry him! But we waited. He had a plan. A good plan. First thought: Space Needle. Then he realized, “Needles are sharp. What if she pokes her eye out!” Second thought: Japanese Garden. Amanda developed a love for them when spending a month DOWN UNDA’ (in Australia). Tripp had done the research and found a Japanese Garden in Seattle. So, on the second day of the conference, he mentioned that he wanted to visit the garden to get some “cool photos.” He even enlisted the help of their friend and mentor, Carla, to drop a subtle hint, “You should check out the Japanese Garden. It’s amazing!” But it was raining. Pouring. Somewhere out there, an old man was snoring! (We hope he did not bump his head). Tripp, however, is a master at surprises and reframing roadblocks as opportunities. “I really want to go there and get a long-exposure shot of the garden in the rain,” Tripp said. “The rain will look like fog over the water and there is this really beautiful tree.” Amanda, being no stranger to Tripp’s ridiculous requests for pictures, no matter the cost, kindly obliged. They entered the garden. “See up there,” Tripp said, pointing to a vantage point that looked out over the pond and garden. “That’s where I want to do the shot. It will look so cool.” Amanda and Tripp walked to the spot he pointed out. “Look at it. It’s just amazing,” Tripp said while acting like he was getting his camera out of his bag. Amanda had turned around to take in the beauty. When she turned around, Tripp was on one knee, holding a small wooden box made out of an old oak tree, and inside was the ring. “Will you…” Tripp said before Amanda literally screamed. Tripp was confused. He didn’t even get to finish the “marry me, Amanda Lee Kastrinos” part that you are supposed to say. Literally, for 5 minutes straight, she shrieked, cried, and hugged Tripp. But she never said yes! It was confusing but amazing. They spent the next hour sitting under a gazebo in the garden, listening as the rain lightly tapped out a serenade just for them. Amanda and Tripp are alone in the garden. It was a moment frozen in time. The moment they got engaged.