Anna and Ben met in October 2023 while Anna lived in the Flatville house and Ben lived in his house in Bloomington. They spent that winter, spring, and summer cooking together, going on adventures, dressing up at new restaurants, and watching Lost. Some of their favorite moments from these early days include the day they explored the abandoned air force base in Rantoul and the time they rescued a mole that had fallen down a bluff at Starved Rock.

In August 2024, Anna moved to Madrid to teach English. After a few months, Ben moved to Spain as well. While Anna taught art and English classes during the day, Ben found work with a winery in Galicia, working in the vines and doing sales in Madrid. They stayed in Anna's hot city apartment and shared a twin bed at night. From there, they traveled to Italy, England, Morocco, the Canary Islands, and northern Spain. Both will say that these were some of the best days of their lives (so far).

In July 2025, Ben and Anna hiked the Camino de Santiago with good friends. This was a journey that Anna had dreamed of doing for years. At the end of the Camino, in front of the church in Santiago, Ben asked Anna if she wanted to be with him forever. She said yes before he even asked the question!

Upon returning to the US, Ben and Anna moved to the Finger Lakes region of New York to work at Living Roots Wine & Co (Anna in the tasting room and Ben in the cellar) for the fall harvest. In January, they moved to the McLaren Vale region of South Australia to work the harvest season.

Anna and Ben are so in love with the world they're building together each day. They hope to continue exploring the world while also treasuring each quiet, mundane moment in their lives together.

Photos

engagement

our travels

creatures

early days