How we met, straight out of a romantic movie: setting the scene. It was March of 2020 a rather warm winter converting to a delightful spring. All was well with the world. Then COVID caused the world to shut down: there were stay-at-home orders, curfews, and 6ft social distancing. It all started with Bumble, an app where we were introduced to one another, thanks to Zaida, the cutest pup in Charlotte. We had been chatting casually for a while when the pandemic took full effect and the world shut down. We decided it was worth the risk of contracting Covid and met in Freedom Park for our first date with Zaida. The rest is history from there. From the moment we saw each other, we both knew this was something more than a casual date. We took advantage of the extra free time the pandemic provided in our first year together and have been inseparable ever since.

As many of you know, we love to travel. Our travel plans are usually filled with strenuous activities and very few relaxing things. When traveling, we would always ask the people we met what their favorite place to travel to was. An answer we heard again and again was the Portuguese islands. So, naturally, we went! After months of research, a ring was secured and a plan was in place. It was going down at the Tail of Madeira, which is a five-mile hike on a long peninsula on the west side of the island. At sunrise on a windy morning, we set off on our hike. We were the only people there. After finding the spot and instructing Taylor to stand two feet from a sea cliff, the question was asked. After a moment of shock, Taylor said yes, and we hiked off into the sunrise to start this journey together.