When I was 16 I began working at a small feed store in Wasilla, Alaska, primarily as a warehouseman. I loved my job and enjoyed loading cars and interacting with customers. I was the only guy working there so naturally the ladies I worked with tried to hitch me with just about every girl who came through the door. None of them stood out except for one.

One day my coworker Tara began telling me about her friend Kewaunee and how beautiful she is and that we should go out. As usual, I was not having it. Laser focused on my future ahead of me and not particularly interested in being in a relationship. Her parents even came in and I was “introduced” to them somewhat against my will. But inevitably the day came where the girl herself came into the store. From the warehouse I knew exactly who she was and couldn’t help but think “dang Tara was right”. Not willing to make a fool of myself, I made sure to load the hay and feed in her truck before she came outside to avoid risking an interaction. I went back to my warehouse duties without much thought until, “hello?” A gorgeous voice inquired through the open warehouse door. I spun around shocked to see the blue eyes of my future wife as she found me simply to thank me for loading up her truck. “You're welcome! have a nice day” I recited my typical customer service response because anything but muscle memory had frozen my ability to speak. Following this her appearances gained frequency. After a few times of loading out her feed and hay I, being an expert in reading female body language, began to catch a clue that maybe this girl was into me. More confident, I managed to strike up a conversation about what I know best, pickup trucks (thank god she was driving a truck). However, even with this new confidence, I upheld my personal policy of professionalism, and kept my finger off the trigger.

After 2 years I moved on from the feed store to pursue a career in diesel mechanics at the Alaska Vocational Technical Education Center in Seward. Not bound by the constraints of a customer-employee relationship, I found Kewaunees facebook profile, hovered my finger nervously over the “friend request” button for 45 minutes. And pulled the trigger. Four months later my shot clanged off the target (finally) and my request was accepted. Shortly after this Kewaunee purchased a 1993 Ford F-150 and posted a picture of it. I managed to strike up a conversation about what I know best, pickup trucks (thank god she bought a truck). I had my fish on the line.

By February 11, 2023 I had convinced her that I was worth the gas to drive from Palmer to Wasilla just for me (how special). On our first date we went to a Gym in Wasilla and then ended up sitting and talking in my truck for 4 hours afterward. The next weekend we met up and I told her about my 1985 Honda Big Red that I needed to fix, but I'd probably do that later. To which she responded “let's do it now I'll help you”. My fish was in the boat.

Kewaunee attended my graduation at Avtec as the proudest girlfriend in the whole world. She then rigorously supported me in my job search (which lasted 2 weeks) before I was hired at Peterbilt of Alaska. Continuously encouraging me every step of the way, Kewaunee bolstered my mental and spiritual strength as I started my career from the bottom up and continues to do so as I type this. This among countless other factors was more than enough for me to make up my mind. I took her shooting down at the hayfield where I grew up, walked her through the woods to a beautiful overlook that I've always loved, dropped a knee and asked the question that she was more than aware was coming. She enthusiastically said yes. My fish was in the cooler headed home.

Wasting no time, we gathered a stellar crew of witnesses. My brother Camden (who gracefully took the demotion to “Jonathan's second favorite person”), and my lifelong friend Jonny Doland. At the Palmer Courthouse on November 16, 2023, we officially became husband and wife. My fish is in the freezer, mine forever.