"on the day that I met you, it all turned around."

Life is made up of an infinite amount of choices. Of searching, of trying, of changing circumstances and changing directions. Seemingly inconsequential steps we take in the moment to keep moving forward, Then, one day, we look back and realize these choices have defined our lives. And it is these series of choices that led us to our beginning, at a small volunteer fire department in Chugiak, Alaska.

Originally from California, Jason knew he wanted to serve and protect communities. Having led a response team through multiple disasters throughout the Lower 48, he followed a mission to Alaska to work with children in our rural villages. It was here he was introduced to Emergency Medicine and Chugiak Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department.

Meanwhile, I was in Charleston, SC pursuing jobs and internships in global health, searching for a way to travel the world in the health field. When COVID shut down the programs I was running, I returned home to Alaska and decided a change of pace was needed. It was then I decided Emergency Medical Services was my next step. I got my Emergency Medical Technician cert and began running shifts at Chugiak Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, just four months after Jason had started.

It was there, among smoky bunker gear and shiny firetrucks, that we first met. Saturday, June 19th, 2021, Crew 3 weekend. A weekend of hose packing, hydrant dressing, and medical supplies inventory. The real test came when Jason and I realized we had each met our match in the card game Speed- which ultimately led to tables being flipped and cards being scattered when one of us [again, yes, it was Jason] lost. It was love at first crew weekend.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't be until Thanksgiving that we saw each other again, when we were once again both on shift. This time we didn't leave it to chance. Numbers were exchanged, followed quickly by late-night text messages, discussing music and books and TV shows, and an unprecedented amount of sarcasm.

Our first date came in the form of a "make-up Christmas" since Jason was on shift for the holiday, complete with ice skating, Santa hats, and a pesto-chicken wreath that we've made every Christmas since.

In February was the Fire Department's annual banquet. All dolled up in a suit and fancy dress, celebrating Mr. Rookie of the Year [yes, that was Jason], we decided to make it official.

"road trips, and love songs, and things that make your heart strong."

What's followed since that cold night in February has been a wonderous adventure full of love, laughter, and epic playlists. Neither content to sit around indoors, the majority of our dates consisted of exploring the great outdoors of our home state.

Our first hike together was at the Eagle River Nature Center. Our first backpacking trip was Lost Lake in Seward, exactly one year after we met. We've fat-tire biked in -10F. We've hiked+camped our way through Whittier, Kenai, Hope, and Homer. We've forded our canoe along miles of lake systems. We've road-tripped through Denali. We've done a 12-hour out-and-back dash to McCarthy.

I've dragged Jason up many a mountain peak and he's nearly killed me bombing mountains on our bikes.

A perfect weekend for us consists of packing up our bikes, picking up drinks and sandwiches from a local shop, and taking them out on the trails for a picnic among the trees or alongside a creek.

"when colors turn to shades of grey, with the weight of the world at the end of the day, oh, what would I do without you?"

May 4th, 2023, Strawberry, CA. We're visiting Jason's family in the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe. The whole trip Jason has talked about this one hike in the area, how the views are spectacular and you can see his family's cabin from the top. Little did we know before making the drive up from San Fransisco, the trail was impassable due to an unprecedented amount of snow.

We brainstormed, we tried to problem solve, we debated whether to just gear up and fight through the deep snow and see how far we'd make it. Unfortunately, there was no getting past the trailhead. We returned to the cabin that night, Jason seemingly disheartened by the situation.

Unbeknownst to me, the scenic top of that mountain with the breathtaking views that could be seen from his family's cabin below, was actually where Jason had planned to propose. He had orchestrated an entire plan to be on top of Lover's Leap with his parents watching from below.

That night, we stayed up listening to music and the crackling fire. We talked and laughed and played our favorite songs. It was warm and cozy and magical, and us. And so it happened, slow dancing in front of the fire in his family cabin, that I agreed to spend forever with my best friend.

And that is the story of how the choices of two people searching to find their way found something even better, and led to the best choice of all, choosing each other and choosing to say "I DO."

C&J

Wedding Day

our adventure begins