That was the plan Katie gave Kenny going into their first date — but neither of them was ready to call it a night, and one drink turned into a full night of bar hopping across Raleigh. Somewhere in there, talk turned to travel: Katie had her 30th birthday trip to Aruba all planned out, and Kenny, without missing a beat, told her she was coming to Prague with him instead. She figured he was just showboating — until a few months later, the two of them were actually there. Prague was just the start; France and Switzerland followed, and Katie's flying standards have never quite recovered (there's no going back to economy once you've flown first class with Kenny).

By November 2022, it was official — Kenny asked Katie to be his girlfriend in Tallahassee. One of those early trips doubled as his trial by fire, meeting her entire family all at once at her brother's wedding — and he passed with flying colors. Somewhere along the way, he also turned her into a genuine hockey fan — one who now watches games on her own when he's not around, even if it's never quite as fun without him there to narrate. Katie holds up her end too, tagging along to car show after car show, cheering him on even though it's very much his thing and not hers.

The two of them have kept up the momentum ever since, racking up trips together to Virginia, Florida, Nebraska, Missouri, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and more (their dog Zeke, no fan of car rides, always happy to hold down the fort at home). Then in June 2026, back where it all started in Raleigh, Kenny asked Katie to marry him. Through all of it, they've pushed each other to grow, chase more, and say yes to the next adventure — together.