I met Rebekah Fink freshman year of college, and I remember playing piano with her under the WWU church after vespers one Friday night. I thought she was happy to be fully herself, even if that didn't make her popular. Then I didn't run into her again until the summer after I graduated, in 2020. We hung out a lot that summer, but I didn't realize she had eyes for me.

That Christmas, Rebekah, Emme, and I went on a road trip to California, and that was when I was first like, "hmmmm, she's cute 😏😜"

I moved to Walla Walla for the second half of her senior year, and we started spending more time together. Fast forward a year, and I got a job in Georgia. She proceeded to get a job in South Carolina, and then I got another job to move to the same city.

We started going swimming together (she works as a diver and loves the water), and that led to me proposing to her under water! It turned out perfect. 😊 She was very surprised and said yes, once we made it to the surface!

We've realized that God really brought us together with His timing. We both needed the time in college to grow and become the people we are today, and without that I don't think we would have even noticed each other. I'm so in love with her.

After meeting freshman year of college in our general biology class, we promptly forgot about each other and enjoyed separate friend groups, classes, and extracurricular the next four years of college (except for swing dancing! Somehow we both did that and never got to know each other). Then Summer 2020, Elliott had graduated and was back for the summer on Orcas Island (his home) while I was doing a summer research internship the next island over at Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory. Halfway through the summer, several mutual friends were going to Orcas Island for the weekend and invited me to join. Throughout the rest of the summer, Elliott and I frequently hung out with the group, going on camping adventures to Olympic National Park, cliff jumping and hiking, playing board games, and having pizza night on Orcas, a weekly tradition at Elliott's home. (Though I was crushing on him over the summer, I never admitted it, and I thought that we would be better off as only friends!)

After heading back to school in the fall for my final year, Elliott came to Walla Walla for occasional visits with the friend group. As winter moved into spring, we started spending more time one-on-one with each other, and shortly before my graduation, we both expressed exclusive interest.

The next year was a long distance challenge with me in Tennessee and Oregon for job experience and aquarium science school, and Elliott in Washington and Georgia for construction and a programming internship; however, it was filled with many FaceTime calls, hours of driving and flying, and the happy moments together rock climbing, cooking, tide pooling, and playing games. We also chose several designated periods of time to only communicate through snail mail, which provided tangible keepsakes!

July 2022 was an exciting time for multiple reasons. I moved across the country to start a new job at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC, AND it was only one hour from Elliott! After only three months of driving, he decided that Columbia was the place to be and moved in September 2022 for a new job that was closer to me. The adventuring has continued with swimming regularly at the gym, going camping, and playing music together at church. I'm so thankful for all the adventures so for and I'm excited for all the new ones to come!