From the beginning we were an unstoppable team and best friends, although at first we didn’t know it.

A mutual friend tried to set us up several times reassuring us both that he thought we would hit it off.

To that Jake replied “There is no way. She is way out of my league.”

To which I replied “If he is a cop, absolutely not.”

At one point my mother casually slipped in a “I know someone who would go out with you.”

But neither of us made a move.

But God always has better plans than our own.

We wouldn’t be apart for long.

To our disbelief at one point Jake and I crossed paths months later at a gas station in the south while traveling.

what are the chances that out of all the gas stations in the country we both chose the same one at the same time?!

we still didn’t speak. But I admired him and after a little bit of mild “social media creeping” I knew more than anything I wanted to meet this man. I added him on Facebook. And…… he took the bait. We began enjoying casual conversation which turned into wanting to meet. I very quickly said “I don’t date cops” to which he replied “good because I don’t date nurses.” I was very offended. What could possibly be wrong with nurses?

Then he suggested we should go on a hike just to get our steps in so that wouldn’t constitute as a date. I agreed and suggested I pack us a picnic. Jake said “If you pack a picnic, then that’s a date.” I replied “maybe I want it to be.”

We had our hike and picnic and have been inseparable from that moment.

Months later Jake proposed to me on the same trail we took our first hike. We are so excited for the next steps in our journey together.