January 2023, in the midst of the post-holiday humdrum, Patrick and Jess met for the first time over a dinner of hamburgers and fries in Colorado Springs. Only meeting at the request of Patrick's sister, Gina, neither party was sure how this evening would go. Jess, living in Virginia at the time, was only in Colorado for a week to visit family. Patrick, having only heard about Jess through various anecdotes shared with him by his sister, was skeptical of a blind date. Upon her insistence that they would get along splendidly, both agreed to take the leap and meet for dinner. Mere hours into their meal, talks of their first trip together commenced. Five months later in May 2023, the couple backpacked the Great Sand Dunes and expressed their love for the first time against the backdrop of sandy dunes and snowcapped mountains. For the following 11 months, the couple's relationship flourished despite the >1700 miles that separated them. In April 2024, Jess packed up her Honda and traded Virginia's beaches for Colorado's mountains and the company of her soulmate. Patrick brought Jess back to the Great Sand Dunes in October 2024 where he finally asked her to spend the rest of her life with him.