What I love about our story is that it validates all the challenges and hardships we have chosen to overcome.

In 2021, we met by chance on Tinder, while living 4 hours apart. Steve was heading to Killarney Provincial Park and happened to make a pit stop in Waubaushene, ON, which led to us connecting on the app. Later that week, we met up for a walk. From the moment Clarissa shared her ambitions, Steve knew he wanted to be with her. The only problem was that SHE needed to realize she wanted to be with me. Thanks to her best friend, Jill, we reconnected a couple months later and have never looked back.

After a year of long distance letters, videos, and phone calls, along with weekend dates and getaways, Steve left his job in London, ON and moved in with Clarissa in Midland, ON. We immediately discovered our love for Sedona, Arizona, hiking, and growing as a couple. Our shared values and ability to communicate and understand when challenges arise has helped us thrive as a couple. We’ve tackled renovations on three different properties, have completed insane hikes like Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, and have been able to endure a long distance relationship for almost a year.

A large reason for the chemistry we have can be traced back to years before we actually met. We both wrote down what we were looking for in a partner, and who we had to become in order to attract that person into our lives. It took years of heartache, challenges, and growth, before we stumbled into each other's lives. Human connection seemed like a thing of the past and yet somehow we managed to find each other at the perfect time.

On our (second) first date, we met up at the Nottawasaga Bluffs hiking trail. Afterwards, while sitting in Steve’s car, Clarissa gave Steve a Tiger’s Eye crystal as a representation of her heart. She asked Steve to take care of it. Almost two years to the date, at the same location as where Clarissa gave Steve a piece of her heart, Steve asked for Clarissa’s hand in marriage.

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