we're doing the thing!

It was a cold and rainy evening, in the beginning of January. Christmas had passed, the shine of the new year had begun to fade, and Kansas City was bundled up for the next couple months of another harsh Midwest winter. But as I parked my car outside of a little coffee shop in downtown KC, I was much more nervous and excited than anything else. I had a pretty good feeling about who was waiting for me inside. As it turned out, I was right. The first thing, and the clearest thing, I remember about Alyssa Belford when I met her that night inside the warm confines of Rochester Brewing and Roasting Company was her smile. We chatted and laughed and learned so much about each other that night and over the months to come, but everything I needed to know was in that smile. All the kindness, warmth, and positivity that is Alyssa Belford was right there, the first time we met. A couple of cups of coffee, a shared Rice-Krispies-topped milkshake at my favorite Nashville hot chicken spot, and several hours later, I was smiling too. Life has swept both of us onward from that magical night, to a new city and new jobs and new dreams. To a distant mountaintop overlooking Granada, Spain, where Alyssa made me the happiest and luckiest man in the world when she said yes. She was smiling then, too. And so was I.

In my fourth year of medical school, I chose to pursue a six week International Elective in Pamplona, Spain. My time there was full of unique opportunities to learn and grow in my field, but I was also challenged by the foreign environment, culture, and language barrier. When Ethan chose to visit toward the end of my elective, his familiarity was like a breath of fresh air. We took a weekend to travel to Granada and embarked on a beautiful guided hike in the Sierra Nevada National & Nature Park. The weather was cold and we were well bundled as we hiked along, tasting and smelling the flora and watching as the sun slowly fell toward the horizon. I couldn't wait to get to the top and watch the sun set across the mountains. We approached a fork in the trail about fifty meters before the end of our hike. Our guide pointed to the path on the left which led to a separate small peak, and said we could independently summit it if we wanted. I jumped at the chance and was surprised when Ethan quickly followed - I had never known him to particularly enjoy heights, and the peak of the summit was small and without rails. He and I hiked the short path alone, winding round the small peak until we reached the top. It was stunning. To our left was a snow-capped mountain range, the peaks tinted pink and orange with the sun's fading light; the city of Granada twinkled to our right, far below. A floor of craggy mountains studded with bushes and trees expanded below us; and above, a pale, cloudless sky. It was a stunning display of God's creation, and was made even more beautiful when Ethan got on a knee and asked me to marry him. While we had talked about our future together, I didn't know he had a ring; but still, saying yes was the easiest decision I've ever made. Here's to many more beautiful moments and sunset hikes with my favorite person! <3