Many of you know the story. But for those of you who don't, buckle up, this story is spicier than "A Court of Thorn and Roses."

In 2011, Dylan was serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Albania. Max was serving in the Marine Corps on a three year rotation as a U.S. Embassy Security Guard in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, The Hague, Netherlands, and Lima, Peru. In 2011, Max was on his last rotation in Peru.

So, how did our paths cross you might ask?

Well, Dylan was working with a fledgling LGBTQ+ non-profit in Albania, helping the group build community and advocate for gay rights. This work brought Dylan to Tirana (the capital of Albania) on a pretty regular basis. If you've never lived abroad, capital cities are where all expat communities (and most Americans) live. It's where the U.S. Embassy in Tirana and Marine Detachment also lived. By chance, one of Max's friends from The Hague, Kim, was on final rotation in Tirana.

As part of Dylan's work with the LGBTQ+ organization, they hosted bi-weekly parties to foster a safe and inclusive environment. Dylan always invited the Marines to join... hence, this is how Dylan and Kim met. Naturally, they became quick friends and this is where Max joined the picture.

As Dylan recalls, "Kim and I were out on the dance floor tearing it up. While we were dancing, Kim leans in and says "I've got a guy I want to introduce you to." Dylan was excited and looked to the left and to the right. "Where is he?" he responded. She laughed a bit, "He's in Peru!" Immediately, Dylan rolled his eyes and shrugged her off. But she was persistent. "No, he's a great guy. You should at least message him on Facebook." In an attempt to get back to dancing, Dylan said, "Sure, give me his name."

On October 22, the next day Dylan sent Max a message. "Dear Sergeant Rangel, I met Kim last night and she recommended that we should be friends. I'm a Peace Corps volunteer here in Albania; I love being abroad. How is Peru? Also, thank you for your service. D."

Less than 24 hours later, Max responded. Max and Kim were already conspiring behind the scenes and he knew Dylan might reach out. Well it's obvious now, but they continued to talk, mostly on FB messenger and Skype.

Dylan's service in the Peace Corps was coming to an end, he was leaving Albania at the end of November to head back home to Oklahoma. Max saw this as an opportunity...

One day, in the ensuing conversations, Max "joked" about Dylan coming to visit him in Peru. Dylan laughed. He had been making less than $450 a month for the last three years... There was no way he could afford a trip to Peru. Max let it drop for the moment. But the following week, he asked again if Dylan wanted to come visit for two weeks. This time it wasn't a joke. He was going to pay for the whole trip.

Dylan didn't know what to think. Both Dylan and Max are extremely adventurous, so traveling to South America wasn't the concern. It was meeting up with someone they recently met online... in South America. As Dylan's Embassy Mother Cindy said, "What if he murders you and chops you into little pieces!?" Well, Dylan wasn't concerned about murder, Max was, after all, a Marine. But what if things got weird or things didn't click? To avoid this scenario, Dylan and Max made a gentlemen's agreement, if things got weird, then each would finish out the trip on their own.

The following January, Dylan flew down to Peru. Max rolled out the red carpet, wining and dining Dylan with the best restaurants and hotels, and flying him to Cusco to see Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and Lake Titicaca. As they say, the rest is history...

Since meeting in Peru in 2012, Dylan and Max have lived in Oklahoma (Max calls Tulsa, Oklahoma his last foreign assignment), New York City, Washington D.C., Panama, Tunisia, Albania and Peru (often separate from each other). Max finished his undergraduate degree at Columbia University, and Dylan his Masters at Johns Hopkins SAIS. They've worked at the Treasury, NASA, the White House, Accenture, the State Department, and the Senate.

But the most important part of their lives is you; the friends and family they have made along this long, winding road. Without you, Dylan and Max wouldn't be the humans they are today.

Thank you for being part of our journey, and we look forward to making many more memories with all of you!