Like any good love story, ours has a few different versions, particularly at the beginning. If you ask Desi, it's the story of a woman meeting a man and believing he is meant to play some role in her life, only to be initially disappointed in his lack of understanding of the implications of social media direct messages. If you ask Ryan, it's the story of a man who meets a woman and realizes, that the right person can change your views on life, love, and your future for the better, almost as soon as they walk into your life. If you ask Gary, Ryan's father and Desi's former mentor at work, it's the story of introducing good people at the right time (but please don't give him too much credit; he already thinks quite highly of his matchmaking skills). Whichever version you buy into, it's not one that we tire of sharing, and we're excited for you to be a part of the next chapter come October.

In the late summer of 2020, Desi and Ryan unknowingly tried their hardest not to meet. Amidst pandemic distancing protocols and hectic work schedules, both gave a list of reasons why they could not come when invited to spend a weekend at a cabin on Kerr Lake . Fortunately, they each folded after a bit of encouragement and found themselves spending time with one another throughout the weekend during boat rides, porch conversations, and wakeboard lessons. The weekend ended with an awkward side-hug and both of them spending a lot of time thinking on their drives home to Charlotte and Wilmington. After the weekend, Desi sent a message to Ryan, and the two have not really stopped talking since. It shortly came out that, before meeting, Desi had booked a trip to the Carolina coast, coincidentally staying at a home less than 100 yards from Ryan's typical surf spot. By that point, the two decided they would use that weekend to meet up again, but, as the story goes, the biggest swell of the season hit southern NC the weekend Desi planned to visit, which inevitably would have put both of them at the same beach access at the same time, regardless of what each of them had planned.

The following months consisted of countless roadtrips between Charlotte and Wilmington, Leonardo (Leo) DeCATrio often along for the ride, before Ryan unexpectedly learned that the next year would take him to Flagstaff, Arizona to complete his training as a psychologist. Desi, having just bought a home in Charlotte, planned to spend the year maintaining the home base but quickly found herself spending more and more time with Ryan exploring the deserts and highlands of Arizona and surrounding states. At the end of the year, the couple was happy to roadtrip back across the country to settle in Charlotte in the Fall of 2022.

After landing in Charlotte, Desi & Ryan have spent their time focused on laying roots, launching/continuing careers, spending time with family and friends, traveling, perpetually planning the next chance to see live music, and, true to their early-relationship roots, wakeboarding. "Three years and a day" from the day they met, Desi & Ryan got engaged at the spot where they watched their first sunrise together on Carolina Beach, and that, roughly, brings us to today.

We so look forward to continuing the story with you this October!