This is basically where we met, falling in muddy holes while trying to help restore the rainforest. Our story isn't too glamorous, but we were both in the right place, at the right time, doing things that we cared about. We met in 2017, while Brendan was volunteering with a conservation non-profit in Indonesian Borneo where Jenn was working. We bonded over our love of nature, and Jenn found herself smitten with Brendan's eclectic sense of humor!

After six weeks, Brendan returned to Kentucky to finish his degree, but we managed to keep in touch across opposite time zones. We spent months building a solid friendship and exchanging voice messages, videos, and Skype calls whenever we could. Over the first year, we met up when we could, exploring parks near Nebraska, Kentucky, and New England. Here's a picture from our first big trip together to Yellowstone!

Brendan received a Fulbright Scholarship to study dragonflies in Borneo, so he moved back to Indonesia after we lived apart for a year. Apparently we didn't take many photos together during this time to document our adventures, or only slightly crazed ones like this! We enjoyed lots of dragonfly surveys, orangutan sightings, and snorkeling sessions when we had time to visit other areas of Indonesia. We also raised three kittens together, which solidified our love of cat friends!

After Brendan spent a year in Indonesia, we decided to move back to the US. Jenn started a PhD at Virginia Tech to learn more about how people work together to solve environmental challenges. Brendan also started working for a tech company based in Blacksburg, first as a data analyst and then transitioning to software engineering. We spent the next four years exploring the Appalachian Trail together, getting our kayak on, developing a love of birding, and raising some more cats named Aster and Willow. This is also where Brendan proposed, which happened while we were hiking to some nearby cliffs and was a complete surprise to Jenn! We also cleaned up a few times for a celebration or two! There is no way to completely capture the life we started to build together, but hopefully a few extra photos below will help tell our story!

Jenn finished up her PhD in August of last year, which meant we had to hit the road for our next adventure in Fort Collins, Colorado. Fortunately, Brendan has been incredibly flexible, rolling with the twists and turns along this academic journey. He has continued to work remotely for his tech company, and we've had the opportunity to explore places closer to where he grew up. While here, we've tried to explore the Rockies, started snow shoeing, and enjoyed the beauty of glacial lakes. We're excited to share this area of Colorado with you all when you join us for our wedding!