Mountains weren't the only thing I fell in love with when I moved to Tennessee. I was finishing up my first year of graduate school and Patrick was getting ready to graduate from ETSU when we started talking. Conversations were effortless from the get-go and it wasn't long before we went on our first date. We would eventually end up spending most nights after work and school at each other's apartments, enjoying any free time we had together in our ever-busy schedules. By the end of the summer, it was pretty obvious that we were in this for the long haul. Neither of us really knew when we officially started dating, so we picked an anniversary date that just "felt right"; July 21, 2018 was that date.

Between completing an externship five states apart, a global pandemic, and a less-than-stellar job market after graduation making finding work locally difficult, we really tested the strength of our love across distance over the span of three years. Patrick continued to work at ETSU with the athletics department and I was given an opportunity to work with the VA in West Texas. We were able to make the most of our time apart, both traveling back and forth when schedules allowed.

Spring 2023 brought me back east with a new job in Columbia, SC, turning 6-8 hours worth of flights and layovers into a quick 3.5 hour drive to Johnson City, TN. We both put a lot of miles on our vehicles and spent countless hours listening to podcasts and audiobooks most weekends, but it was worth it to finally be able to be together more than a few times a year like we had been doing.

Our fifth anniversary was something to celebrate, especially since it was going to be the first anniversary in two years we would actually get to spend together. We planned a trip back to Navarre Beach, FL, where we had spent our third anniversary together on our first true vacation together. Patrick booked a photo shoot with a local photographer to capture the occasion. We had decided on a sunrise photo shoot and the weather could not have been better. As the photographer took what I thought were a few more shots to wrap up our session, she had me turn around to walk back to where we had just come from. Little did I know when I turned around, I would find Patrick on one knee. I was truly surprised because he had played everything so cool all morning! Saying "YES!" was the easiest decision of my life.

The wedding ceremony and reception will be held at The Side Porch in Gray, TN. We are so excited to have you with us to celebrate this next chapter of our lives!