It truly was a miracle that they made it past the awkward banter to an actual in-person date. Ashin and Katie's first date started at Forge Baking Company where they both got giant ice cream cones. They had such a great time walking around and chatting that they went for Round 2 of ice cream at JP Licks in Davis Square to just keep the date going! Definitely a sign from the universe.

After that first date, Ashin and Katie really hit it off, and went on many, many more dates. Most of their summer weekends consisted of 1) Picking a random hike from a hand-me-down guide book (thanks Lindsey!). 2) Get afternoon ice cream on the way back. 3) Lounge until dinner time 4) Pizza. Along the way, Ashin graduated with his PhD! (and got kicked out of his dorm)! While scrambling to find a place to live, Ashin became the unoffficial 5th roomate in Katie's apartment for a month (THERE WAS ONLY ONE BATHROOM). After surviving that month together, Ashin and Katie knew their relationship was built to last.

A few years and a cross-country move to California later, it finally happened! Ashin planned a beautiful, scenic run along the Santa Cruz cliffs, ending in a secret spot for the proposal. The only problem: they got a little lost. 6 extra miles later, they eventually made it to the secret site for the big event. Katie was actually surprised!