Our next adventure!

In November, 2021, after being urged by her sister Grace to try some version of online dating, Sophia decided she might as well give it a try while in Dacula, GA for a research rotation. The dating prospects in small town Alabama where she was in medical school had been slim to none and she had tried a few dating apps before with no great luck, but decided to give Facebook dating a whirl (since it was continuously soliciting her anyway). Meanwhile in Newnan, GA Jacob had just about given up on women, but realized his hopeful spirit couldn’t give up entirely so he had made a dating profile on Facebook and spent his late nights (for months…) looking for a good match without resulting in anyone he even wanted to go on a date with. Sophia made a brief profile to get things started and told herself she would come back to finish it up later. Before she could even do that, within 24 hours she had a match named Jacob Davis who very much liked her smile and her simple bio reading, “Looking for an adventure partner.” His “business owner” job title along with his unique photos from his adventures had intrigued her, so she reached out to see what kind of business he owned. From there the messages continued to flow, and we seemed to hit it off well with very intriguing and thought-provoking conversations. After messaging consistently for two weeks we had our first date in Atlanta on December 4th, 2021. We met for lunch (Sophia had secretly told her family she was meeting her friend Abby so they wouldn’t be suspicious), and after overcoming the initial inevitable awkwardness, we enjoyed a meal together and got to know each other further. After lunch we walked around Piedmont Park, got boba tea, and/ continued having very enjoyable and surprisingly deep conversations. Ultimately, we ended up talking until two o’clock in the morning, and on the cusp of fatigue decided to get home before it got any later after our marathon of a 14-hour first date.

From the first date we were both completely open and honest about where we were in life, what we wanted, and what we had gone through to get us where we were at; bringing up some tough conversations which made us really dive deep into whether we might be the right fit. This challenged us both to pray for peace and guidance in our relationship together from the very first date. This was challenging, but one of the best things Jacob could have done to lead us well as we built the foundations of our relationship. Throughout the month of December we had several more dates (including Sophia joining him to go pick up a car in NC for a rather uncommon second date) and meeting each other’s families during the holidays. Things were progressing quicker than we had ever anticipated, but it also just felt right at the same time. There were still plenty of challenges to overcome as Sophia was off to Long Island, NY for a month-long rotation in January. Ever the opportunist when it comes to a fantastic road trip, Jacob offered to accompany her on the drive up. We had quite an enjoyable adventure, which would become a trend in our relationship, before being separated for six whole weeks. Living in different cities and states from the start meant that distance would be a part of our relationship. Those six weeks were long, but we made it through with Facetime and many long texts, that were more like letters. We then reunited on Valentine’s Day and celebrated our first Valentine’s day with quite an elaborate dinner that Jacob had planned. Our whirlwind of the beginning of our relationship was almost like a Hallmark movie, however after we jumped back into “real-life” which meant Sophia on her 4th year rotations in Alexander City, AL and Jacob working in his shop in Newnan, GA. We learned to overcome the distance and make the most of the time we got together, seeing each other about every two weeks. Over the last three years we have experienced many of life’s highs and lows throughout the time that we have dated. Jacob got to be alongside Sophia as she worried through The Match week, graduated from medical school, started residency in Rome, GA, and ultimately survived her chaotic and overwhelming intern year. We also never wasted the opportunity to go on adventure to some great places including camping in The Great Smoky Mountains, road-tripping all over California for two weeks, and Jacob taking Sophia to see the Grand Canyon for the first time, along with so many other destinations along the way! We became each other’s favorite adventure partners and found more and more that we had so many shared goals, plans for our future, and core beliefs that aligned better than we could have expected. The best part is that we have pushed each other to be better versions of ourselves and grow deeper in our Faith just by being ourselves. Loving each other has truly been easy and fun with how much we care about each other and long to have the best relationship that we possibly can.

After nearly two years of dating, in November of 2023, Jacob accompanied Sophia’s mother, Sylvia, to The Mart in Atlanta to start getting ideas for an engagement ring. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jacob would end up custom designing a ring with the help of a wonderful woman named Kelly that very same day. Ever a romantic, Jacob’s goal was always to surprise Sophia with their proposal, which can be very difficult with just how intuitive she is and how bad he is at keeping anything from her. Ever open and honest in our relationship Sophia knew when the ring had been purchased and when Jacob asked for her parent’s blessing, but he was adamant that he wasn’t going to propose during the holidays or even on Valentine’s Day so that it would be a surprise. So, on February 18th, 2024, exactly four days after the usual day of love, Jacob had concocted an elaborate scheme to surprise Sophia at the end of her family’s annual girl’s trip. He enlisted Sophia’s sister, Grace (who changed Jacob’s name to “Jessica Tamlin” in her contacts to avoid Sophia’s suspicion) as his confidential informant keeping both Sophia and her mother in the dark that the big question was looming. After loading everything he might need (including even a canoe to paddle to the island they were staying on) into his trusty 1967 Chevrolet El Camino, he hit the road towards the coast of Florida, near St. Augustine where they had been vacationing. Only his El Camino decided not to be so trusty after all, and the alternator quit charging leaving him stranded hours from where he needed to be, while at the same time, the weather in Florida also changed the girl’s plans making Jacob begin to doubt if everything would come together. Improvisation was key, and in true Jacob fashion, the alternator was replaced as soon as the parts store opened in the town he broke down in, and Grace consistently fed him updates on their location and plans throughout the day. Continuing south as the girl’s escaped the island via a rough and rainy boat ride, he figured he would meet them somewhere on their way north and still pull off the surprise. Ultimately a nature walk in Brunswick, GA was where Jacob set up with barely a minute to spare. Meanwhile Sophia was blissfully unaware enjoying the trip with her mom and sister. As they were walking down this trail that Grace was super adamant about stopping at, heading to try and watch the sunset, Sophia was ahead just enjoying the day. Suddenly she heard music playing towards the end of the trail before she took a couple more steps and saw a camera set up. Her first thought was, “Oh my gosh! What if I am walking in on someone’s engagement?” She gingerly kept walking forward where she saw none other than her own Jacob standing at the end of the boardwalk and realized that it was our song she was hearing. She had just walked in on her own engagement exactly as he had planned! Sophia was in utter shock, but it was an amazing moment full of genuine surprise. Jacob got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife, and she quickly replied with the easiest yes of her life!

After a short initial honeymoon, Jacob and Sophia will be living together in Rome, GA where Sophia will be finishing residency before starting her career as a Family Medicine physician in the area. Jacob will be leaving his shop behind, but is very excited for a fresh start and opportunities to come with plans to pursue his pilot’s license in the near future. This summer, after Sophia graduates from her residency program, we will embark on our second honeymoon for a ten-day excursion exploring the islands of Greece! We are so very excited to start our lives together and have lots of plans for improvements around the house including a fenced-in yard to make room for a puppy to join in on our new adventures together as husband and wife!