We met mid run on the trail and it was as sweaty and awkward as you are picturing. We'd heard of each other through a mutual friend, but nothing ever came of it. Chad started running the trail "just because"... which may or may not have had something to do with the fact our mutual friend told him I ran there. Whether it was fate or Chad's not so subtle strategy, it worked.

We didn’t date right away. Actually, we didn’t date for years. Instead, we became best friends. We dated other people, gave each other advice, and pretended we were totally, completely, absolutely just friends.

Eventually, friendship became something more. We started dating, and for about a year, we discovered what our relationship looked like beyond friendship. But life isn’t always linear; our relationship went through ups and downs. During a season of what seemed like uncertainty, he bought an engagement ring. He knew, even then, that our story wasn’t finished.

He was right. We found our way back to one another, more certain than ever. Just four months later, he surprised me with a trip to Greece. On a private boat ride in the Aegean Sea, he proposed.

Our story has taken its time...beautifully, unexpectedly, and perfectly our way.