Donnie's Perspective: This is the part where I’m tempted to say “from that point on, everything was easy" — and while many things have been, our relationship hasn’t always fit neatly into the category of “ease." It has been a challenge to navigate a growing relationship while living more than an hour apart. It has been a challenge to find and prioritize time around our lives, jobs, leadership positions, and random life events.

It hasn’t been easy — but goodness has it been worth it.

After a few more date nights and extended weekend hangouts, Kari and I decided to make things official just before the holiday season, on December 11th, 2022. In the time since we became official, we have frequented adorable Pocatello diners, crushed many a gym session, started friendly fights over “Cover Your Assets," jet skied in San Diego, and racked up a more than decent amount of Trader Joe's mileage.

A moment in our relationship that always makes me smile is the “Kari shark” saga. After a night of exhausting grading and lecture prep, I turned to a bit of gaming, specifically, I launched a game titled “ Maneater," where players attempt to grow from a tiny shark into a terror of the deep.

Kari, also exhausted from her job and additional bagpipe practice, thought it would be funny to narrate my gaming experience to the tune of “ baby shark..."

Kari: “Baby shark, do do do do do...”

Kari: “Growing shark do do do do do...”

Kari: "Tiger shark do do do do do do...”

At one point, I encountered an Orca (killer whale) — the second I exclaimed “I’m getting attacked by an orca!” I hear—

Kari: “Orca.. shark, do do do do do...”

Donie: "Kari, no.. Kari...an orca is not a shark.”

* pause *

Kari: “Noooot a shark, do do do do do...”

Kariann's Perspective: The "Baby Shark" tune is now and forevermore a staple of our relationship. We sincerely apologize.

Donnie's Perspective: After a lovely summer together, we talked more seriously about “the future." As we discussed our goals in life and marriage, it became clear that the vision of what we each wanted fit almost perfectly with the ideas and dreams of the other person. I had found my best friend, and one who was willing to follow me across the country to pursue a PhD. For so many reasons, I knew in September that I wanted to marry Kari. With the help of some dear friends, I popped the question on January 22nd, 2024 – we ended the night together at an Ogden Park, just like we had done on our very first date.

A year and a half removed from that first mutual conversation, and I cannot imagine life without my dad-joke tolerating, bagpipe-playing, broadway-jamming gal.

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