Kaylyn and I's story began with a swipe on Bumble. We first started texting during the spring of 2020, right in the peak of COVID. While the world was on pause, we found something steady in each other. We messaged all summer long, talking about everything and nothing, slowly getting to know one another through our screens. And even though we hadn’t met yet, I already felt something special growing.

We finally met that fall, our junior year at Georgia College. I still remember walking up the stairs to her apartment with a 12-pack of Michelob Ultra in hand, which is something she definitely hasn’t let me live down (and to be fair, not much has changed since).

From that day on, we were pretty much inseparable. We spent so much time together, hanging out by her apartment pool, going on walks around campus, or having date nights at El Amigo or Kai Thai. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was something real.

Labor Day weekend of that year, I invited Kaylyn to my family’s beach house at Alligator Point, Florida. I was excited for her to meet my family and enter a piece of my world. During that weekend, I asked her to be my girlfriend. She said yes, and just like that, Alligator Point became our place. We’ve been back countless times since, and Kaylyn will proudly and confidently claim she’s the better fisher (I’m still holding out hope that the scoreboard tells a different story one day).

From there, life’s only gotten better. We’ve gone on road trips, been to tons of concerts, and spent time with the people we love. Many of those moments have been at the beach, at the Reardigan family cabin, on family vacations to Colorado and Roatan, or just hanging out with each other’s family. I am thankful for all the moments we’ve shared with our families and for everything they’ve done to help shape what we’ve built together.

After celebrating four years together, I knew it was time to take the next step. Once I found the perfect ring, I spent the next few months building up the courage to ask Kaylyn’s dad for his blessing and to plan the proposal. On September 14th, 2024, I proposed to Kaylyn at Gibbs Garden. I had woken up that Saturday morning and decided I was going to do it; I couldn’t keep the secret any longer.

Now, five and a half years later, I get to marry the girl who became my best friend, my favorite travel buddy, my biggest supporter, my fishing rival, and the love of my life. I know we have so many adventures ahead, and I couldn’t be more excited to take on the future with Kaylyn by my side.