Alex and Rachel met for the first time on November 1, 2019, at a coffee shop in Lubbock, Texas. The pair were both new to Lubbock at that time, and everything was in transition. Rachel had just begun her Ph.D. program, and Alex had started working for the Texas Tech athletics department.

That first coffee date bled into evening drinks, and at the end of the night, the new pair had made plans to meet the following day to go bowling. Alex, who was about to start working a busy basketball season, said, "This will be my last free weekend in a long time, so if you want to hang out, this weekend is really it."

Over that basketball season, Rachel and Alex caught up whenever they could. Fran (Rachel's dog) started to get used to having another person around.

In March 2020, the pandemic hit. Rachel saw her students in person for the last time, and Alex flew back from the defunct Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri. Gas was cheap, and nothing was open, so the pair spent the early days of the pandemic going on long 3-hour drives around the loop of Lubbock.

The world slowly opened back up just in time for Rachel to buckle down and complete her dissertation. Alex was always right there, ready to bring a cupcake or offer moral support to Rachel as she typed her life away. Between dissertation deadlines, Alex and Rachel took many weekend trips to the World Series game, ACL, and El Paso, Texas. They also went on a week-long vacation to Denver, Colorado, where Alex realized, "I haven't taken a vacation in my entire adult life. Maybe I don't want to work in sports any longer."

In 2022, Rachel began to look for assistant professor jobs, and she fell in love with the University of North Florida. UNF liked her back, and Alex and Rachel agreed over a steak dinner and a Chilton (a Lubbock-original cocktail) to move to Jacksonville that summer. That summer, Alex and Rachel threw themselves into exploring Jacksonville and setting up their new life with Fran.

In August 2022, Alex and Rachel decided to rent a car and drive back to Texas for her graduation ceremony in Lubbock. Eventually, they landed in Lubbock with enough time for Rachel to meet her family, put on her gown, and walk the stage.

The weekend culminated with Alex and Rachel going back to the very same coffee shop where they had met 3 years prior. Rachel was shocked when Alex got on one knee outside the coffee shop and asked a very important question, to which Rachel replied, "Yes!" while surrounded by her close friends.

They got to the airport, called their parents, and then boarded flights back to Jacksonville that very same day. It was a whirlwind! That very next day, Alex and Rachel started their new jobs at UNF. A fellow faculty member commented on Rachel's ring, and she said, "Thank you! I guess I got engaged 24 hours ago?"

Four days later, Rachel's grandmother passed away, so they booked another trip back to Texas, where they celebrated her life with family, and Alex served as a pal bearer. It was a tough week, but they knew her grandmother would have been proud. The only reason why Rachel's grandmother was okay with her leaving Texas is if Rachel promised Alex would be going with her.

Rachel and Alex finally settled down in August and enjoyed being engaged for a few months. They promised themselves that they would take some time just to rest and adjust before any wedding planning would commence, which was ultimately such a blessing.

Now it's time for Alex and Rachel to make it official! They are so glad that you joined them for their big day.