It was 2019 and I was with my mom and sister, venting about how a good guy is hard to find, when my sister said “wait I think you’d actually be good with my bf’s friend Isaac…but are you ok with unibrows?” I said I was, and we planned a trip for me to visit. Later we found out that Isaac was dating someone, but I shrugged it off, still excited to see Megan. When the trip came around in Feb. 2020, I flew up from SF to Seattle blissfully unaware that Covid was about to hit and that Isaac was now single. Megan had planned a game night at a local dessert place, and that was where I first saw Isaac. At the end of the night, Megan invited Isaac and his roommate Jordan to join us for a day trip to the San Juans the next day. Usually, Isaac would have declined and gone skiing, but b/c he was injured and on crutches (we joke that it was divine intervention) he agreed to join us. After an entire day in the backseat, we bonded over many things including our love of artificial banana flavor and the fact that we had both given our deceased fish viking funerals, and at the end of the night he asked for my number. I flew back to SF the next day, but we chatted daily after that. Covid hit, and we had many nighttime phone calls while we walked around our dark neighborhoods until we decided it was time to see each other in person again. In April, I made the 15 hr drive from SF to Seattle solo, passing many “stay home!” signs along the way. That trip solidified our relationship and we became “official”. After a little over a year of long distance, many covid tests, and traveling back and forth from WA to CA visiting each other, my cat Morty and I moved to Seattle in July of 2021. Since then we have had many grand adventures, including hiking 82 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail, a roller blade marathon in Minnesota for my 30th birthday, bike camping in the San Juans, running the Seattle Half Marathon, and ski touring up Mt Rainier.

It was February of 2020 and my ski season was unfortunately cut short by an injury, a very frustrating occurrence that truly ended up being providence. Since I was on crutches and not able to ski I went to hang out with friends from college at Hot Cakes, a location I despise, but is always a good time with friends. I was aware that Megan and Jared had pitched the idea of setting Sam and I up before, but was not someone who was particularly interested in starting a long-distance relationship. However, after our first night of hanging out as a group I was intrigued by Sam’s energetic and fun-loving demeanor and was happy to be invited to go on a trip around Whidbey and Deception Pass the next day. It remains a point of contention who initiated the backseat handholding on our long drive back but perhaps that is an example of mutual early feelings, we both think the other one started it. Sam flew back to SF the following day and I texted her following up about having a great time and being glad I met her. However, I wasn’t sure it would grow into anything substantial. Thankfully I was wrong and we continued to text daily. Texts morphed into phone and video calls which continued while I stayed at my parent’s house recovering from hip surgery during the beginning of covid lockdown. In April Sam made the long drive from SF to visit me in Redmond, I was impressed she drove the whole way solo in one day. Our relationship became official that week and due to remote work and Sam’s work schedule we were able to see each other once a month until July of 2021 when Sam moved to Seattle. We have had many grand adventures together as well as helping each other through tough times. Nothing like starting a long-distance relationship during a pandemic to really help you build a strong relationship and good communication. I’m so excited to marry Samantha and can’t wait to see what God has planned for the rest of our lives.