We first met in 2021 and had our first date in Santana Row!

My initial impression was that he was a bit weird. He ate his ice cream by the trash can, which struck me as odd. In his defense, the security guard had made us move when we were almost finished, so he claimed he was just 'finishing' it.

Matt told me his first impression of me was that I was shorter than I appeared in my photos, even though I was wearing heels that day. 😅

Despite the unusual start, we spent several hours chatting and walking around. I honestly can't remember what we talked about, but we talked for quite a while. At the end of the date, I mentioned I had plans to visit a succulent store the next day and asked if he wanted to join me. He was convinced I was asking him for a second date.

While driving back from a hike one day, Kim suddenly brought up how much she wanted to eat pineapples in Hawaii. By then, we had been on about six dates, so I wasn't totally convinced at first. Over the next week, she kept making pitches about how amazing pineapples are in Hawaii, and after a while, I finally agreed to go since, at this point, it was clear she really wanted to go.

When we started planning, we realized we could get a lot of discounts, so we ended up booking a 32-day trip! Thinking back on it now, I am surprised we went on such a long trip early in the relationship.

On the first day we arrived, we immediately went for our first Hawaiian pineapple, and I have to admit, it really does taste better there.

During our 30 days in Hawaii, we talked a lot about life and grew even closer. I thought we were already boyfriend and girlfriend, but she made me ask her to make it "official". So in Hawaii, I asked her to become my girlfriend.

After our incredible Hawaii trip, I always knew how and where I wanted to propose. My plan was to pop the question on one of our favorite hiking trails in Hawaii, and I wanted to do it on Kim's birthday. Early in our relationship, Kim had asked how I would propose, so it was never really a secret. Once I let my idea slip, she refused to go back to Hawaii unless I was going to propose.

After 3.5 years together, we planned another trip to Hawaii. By this point, she knew the proposal was coming, especially when I mentioned needing a rental car on her birthday. So, on April 18, 2024, I officially proposed. I told her she would be 'demoted' from girlfriend to fiancée. 😉