Josh and Allison seemed to circle around each other in social settings for years before they actually took the time to get to know one another. In fact, their families were closer than they were. Their parents were in the same small group at church, Josh's mom was one of Allison's youth leaders, Josh was Allison's brother’s kids group leader, and Allison's other brother even lived with Josh and his parents for a few months. They danced around one another for years in various church social groups until one particular volleyball meetup in 2022 when they decided to make plans to hang out independently. Their plans were set for a few weeks later as they met up at a local restaurant and talked of travel, music, and the current events in their lives. It wasn't long before they planned another hangout. This time, it was movie night with Josh's parents. From there, frequent trips to the park, late night car music sessions, hammocks, board games, and taco trucks all became a common occurrence. While this time was enjoyed greatly, it all came to a halt when Josh moved to Australia with the understanding that he may not move back. That indecisive mentality drove them both to push down feelings to save one another from disappointment. Josh needed to focus on the future and not feel tied to the past. Allison knew the entire time that Josh was planning to leave the country, so she had accepted that furthering a relationship would be a waste of time. But no distance could come between their pure connection. Be it romantic feelings or not, they had a deep friendship love for one another. It only took a month for a “catch up” conversation to incite the truth. Feelings were admitted, and the willingness to wait on each other came forth. But true love isn't based on feelings. They both knew this. They took their time to know one another deeper. To have the hard conversations. To be honest with their life desires, goals, values, beliefs, and characters. The distance was not easy, but it strengthened a bond that was created through intellect and honesty. The feelings were there, and an honest friendship had already been made. So they took this time to be intentional to make sure they would be great life partners. The next year would go by fast at times and agonizingly slow at other times. But, as time went on, every conversation solidified that they had made the right decision. Before they knew it, Josh was on a flight back to the U.S. That night, Josh shared his love for Allison for the first time. Alison couldn't stop smiling as she returned an “I love you, too.” The following months would be filled with bliss. They finally got to go on actual dates, not just hang outs or video calls. They got to meet each other's friends and family. With every interaction, they shared laughs and lots of love. All of their plans they had made were now playing out in real time before them as tangible realities. The online Catan date nights now were a physical board game in front of them. They spent almost every day together. Josh knew that Allison was the one he wanted to spend his life with. With the help of Allison's friends and sister, Josh was able to set up the perfect engagement location. It was one of Allison's favorite hiking trails: Tiger Creek. Josh waited patiently for Allison's friends to lead her to the arch in the woods. As Allison turned the corner and saw Josh under a flower arch, Allison's smile grew. Allison joined Josh under the arch, where Josh then dropped to one knee and asked the question that sealed it all: “will you marry me?” Allison quickly answered, “OF COURSE!”