Matthew and I met at the University of Iowa in the spring of 2017. Our first date was at Basta Ristorante in Iowa City, our favorite restaurant, and we got interrupted by a film crew looking to capture a "natural looking couple," so we are featured on the Big Ten Network's 'Campus Eats' specials. After I graduated from the University of Iowa, we endured long distance while I worked to get my master's at East Carolina University. During his frequent visits, we liked going to the beach, attending NASCAR races (ew), eating Cook Out, and tasting funky beers. In December 2019, I moved back to Iowa and we have been splitting time between my family in Ankeny, his family in Pella, and visiting our friends throughout the country. Matthew proposed at Basta in March 2021 and he completely surprised me. I was left speechless, which is rare for me, because he had a huge backstory to throw me off of his plan. It ended up being a dream proposal, once I was able to get a giant YES out!