Karen and Jake met sophomore year of college in 2015 at the University of Maryland and were friendly with each other, always saying hi to each other around campus. In January 2017, Karen and her friend Katharine went to Thailand for winter break, and coincidentally, Jake and a few friends were there as well! They met up for dinner in Bangkok one night and became closer friends.

On May 5th, 2021 (Jake’s birthday), with the help of some liquid courage, Jake confessed his feelings. They had already signed a lease to live in the same apartment building in DC starting in July, so this could have made things a little awkward. However, they gave it a shot and it all worked out! A week after moving into the building, Jake adopted Rocky and Karen was over 24/7 because she is obsessed with Rocky.

After living in the DMV area for almost 27 years, they decided it was time for a change! In November 2023, they moved to Denver. They miss their DC friends and family, but they love their new adventures and exploring different mountain towns.

On February 17th, 2024, Jake proposed! He took Karen to watch the sunset over the mountains and popped the question. They were on a weekend trip exploring Buena Vista, a small mountain town in Colorado.