Hello! If you aren’t familiar with our story, this quick recap should bring you up to speed.

We were formally introduced to each other in AP U.S. History during our junior year at Redlands High School. We grew to be quite close during this time and eventually attended prom together in the spring of 2017. We were made aware of something pretty fun around this time as well — Carlie’s mom and my dad went to prom together when they were in high school! This essentially sealed the deal on us going together (thank goodness!). We began dating during our senior year of high school but went our separate ways for the first few years of college.

We were then brought back into each other’s lives in the summer of 2020 after Carlie moved into an apartment with a few of our mutual friends. At this point, I was living with my parents in Redlands but made regular trips to San Diego. Once we got back to talking, it was evident there was still some… electricity there. We officially got back together in September 2021 and spent our senior year of college seeing each other as often as possible. Whether it was a family event in Redlands, a cozy night in Carlie’s San Diego apartment, or a game night with my eight roommates, we were always looking for reasons to be around each other.

In the fall of 2022, Carlie began her final year of graduate school at USD. I began working at Esri around the same time, taking up residence in my childhood bedroom. We spent this year much like the one before — long-ish distance — but we could see the light at the end of the tunnel! Carlie received her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction in the spring of 2023. That summer, she moved back to Redlands after securing a teaching position at an elementary school.

We spent 4–5 months bouncing back and forth between our respective parents’ houses until we decided that we wanted to find a place together. After looking around for a little while, we found the perfect home to start our life together. Fast forward to November 2024 — Carlie and I embarked on our first trip together across the pond. We started the trip in Barcelona, which ended up being quite memorable, as I proposed to Carlie on our third day there. We were exploring Park Güell — one of the largest green spaces in the city, filled with rich architecture and views of the coast — and I found what I felt was the perfect place to get down on one knee and ask Carlie to marry me. It was the perfect day. I couldn’t have dreamed it up any better. After this, we flew to Porto for three days. We saw sights, drank wine, and enjoyed our first few days as an engaged couple. We then flew back to Barcelona for one more night to catch an FC Barcelona Champions League game before making the journey back home to announce the good news. Since then, we have been planning our wedding at the beautiful Cuvier Club and enjoying time with friends and family.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! Carlie and I consider ourselves lucky to be surrounded by so many loving and supportive people, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you all come February 2026.