On our first date, Asha picked me up from my house and we drove around St. Ignace and talked for hours. We then sat on a local scenic rock overlooking lake Huron and watched the sun set.

About 6 months into us dating, Asha got orders to her new coast guard station in Mobile AL. She asked me to move with her, and we moved about a month later. We lived there for a couple years, made lots of friends and have some great memories. It was way too hot for us though, so we decided to move back to the midwest.

In January 2021, we decided to adopt two cats we found on Pet-finder—Amity and Eda. Loving life as pet parents, we later decided we wanted a dog, so we found Archer through a mutual friend after he failed out of seeing eye dog school. While living in Mobile, we began fostering stray cats and eventually added our last permanent resident, Kiora.

Asha proposed to me at the peak of a 14,000 ft tall mountain in Estes Park. We drove to the top, found a secluded spot with sweeping views of Colorado Springs below, and she popped the question. It was the most perfect, joyful moment. It was intimate, unexpected, and unforgettable.

I had originally gotten Asha a traditional wedding band for "men", and when she came out to me I knew I had to propose with a ring I got special for her. When we were back in Michigan for Christmas, I had planned to propose at Eagles Point, which is where we had our first date. Unfortunately, the snow made it impossible for us to access it, so I proposed at the bridge view, which was another stop of our first date.