At one of their first jobs at a local swim club’s snack bar, or what they called the “shack”, Chris and Lauren met; becoming friends and eventually began dating when they were 16 years old. Chris actually baked a cake that read “got boyfriend?” when he asked her to his girlfriend. They dated for about a year, Chris was Lauren’s date to her junior prom at Bishop Ahr High School. After ending their relationship, they remained friends for some time, until the two went off to college and eventually lost touch. Fast forward to 2021: Chris became a nurse working through the pandemic, Lauren became a teacher who at the time was teaching remotely. Her sister booked her a 1 week trip to stay with her in Hawaii as a Christmas and birthday present during her Christmas break; little did she know she’d extend that trip through the end of February while teaching remotely. A once in a lifetime opportunity for any teacher, and Lauren loves a good adventure. Likewise, Chris loves adventure; especially big waves and the thrill of surfing. Winter on the North Shore of Oahu brings some of the historically largest waves. It was here, January 2021, that Chris and Lauren began chatting more often. Lauren was at Waimea Bay, during big wave season, posting some videos to her story on Instagram. Chris was responding and small talk became more frequent. Upon FINALLY returning home after an extended trip to Hawaii, Chris and Lauren matched on a dating app about a week later. They set up a day to go mountain biking at Hartsthone State Park, grabbing some lunch after. The two reconnected in New Jersey, and the rest is history. They’re mutual love for all things adventure, all things cooking, continued to grow and they’ve created some awesome memories together. From hiking trips, ski and boarding trips, to eventually making their way to Hawaii where Chris proposed.