I said the words “I love Sam” on the first night I met him.

Not to his face of course, but I doubt even that could have scared him off. I said it to our mutual friends Corinne and Hayes as they drove me home from a little Nashville bar where I had just spent several hours deep in conversation with this boy I had just met. Corinne insisted that she was not intentionally out to matchmake that night, but I still have my doubts.

Sam wasn’t exactly a hard sell though- he was introduced to me as a chemical engineer who loves Jesus and spends his free time running ultra-marathons in the woods. But beyond that first introduction, what really drew me in was his inability to make small talk (in the best way possible). He asks questions and shares stories with so much intention that even our first conversation felt like talking to a childhood friend.

At the start of our relationship, we talked a lot about how surprisingly easy everything felt. Knowing that Sam would never willingly choose an easy route, I took it upon myself to give him a few challenges along the way. But moving to Charleston and starting my PA program just gave Sam more opportunity to show his intentionality, always making time for a video call or a weekend trip to meet in the mountains.

Now, a few years and lots of long-distance dating later, I could not be more grateful to get to say “I love Sam” for the rest of my life.

A hurricane, old friends in town, and an accidental invite set this whole thing in motion.

Two college friends, Hayes and Corrinne, were back in Nashville fleeing a hurricane that was poised to hit Florida. They gathered a small group to catch up at a bar in Nashville and I got invited...by accident.

Jamie and I met that night and went climbing later that week.

A one hour climb turned into 8 hours of talking, which turned into a couple years of dating and many more in front of us.

To say I'm blessed is an understatement and I can't wait to celebrate the start of this next phase with all of you.