When I asked Cole about our story, he simply told me to attach the link for the app, Hinge, but it’s far more than that.

Imagine July 4th 2019. Kim is a 4th year Veterinary student at Washington State University and Cole is a wildland firefighter in Idaho. Kim is from Newtown, PA (45 minutes outside of Philly) and Cole is from Luverne, MN (rural southwestern MN). Kim has never been on a dating app, and after encouragement from her other vetmed students (and maybe a couple drinks), she’s enticed to join. There’s a couple sketchy characters, before a grizzly, long bearded man came across her iPhone. Kim is intrigued and swipes to have a conversation. Cole immediately asks about her two dogs, to which she asks if they can join them on their first date and he agrees. Given minimal conversation beforehand, the first date was very nerve-wracking for Cole. Sure, Kim didn’t want to arrive early so she sat in her car for 10 minutes watching him inside the taproom like any normal person. Naturally, it was down pouring so the animals were left at home (to much of Kim’s dismay).

She walks in and immediately gives a hug, to discourage the awkward tension in the room. If you were to ask Kim, the date went swimmingly with zero empty pauses. If you were to ask Cole, Kim commandeered the conversation (which he didn’t know was his future), but there sure was never any awkward tension.

A couple weeks pass by, and Cole leaves to fight fire in Alaska. Kim is in a wedding on Kauai and ensures everyone that it’s “just a guy I met,” as they continue to talk daily (pending service). When they’re both back in Pullman, WA/ Moscow, ID they continue to hang out, go for hikes and he meets the dogs. The dogs head East with their grandfather (Carl) while Kim is doing an externship in Montana. Again, Kim ensures that they’re “just talking” but Cole drives 8 hours one way to visit her in Bozeman. He then asks her on September 10th to be his girlfriend.

Vet school passes by, and so does the veterinary match system. Kim does not inform Cole that she applied to the Match. Here comes February 2020, where Kim informs Cole that she is matched to move to Washington, DC. She says “hey, I don’t do long distance” and he graciously says “I’ve never been to the east coast.”

Fifteen months in Washington, DC is a rough time, especially during COVID with two 100 pound animals in a one bedroom apartment, but they sure made it work. When planning on where they moved next, they searched for places that gave them mutual hobbies and the reasons they fell in love.

Being outside: hiking, mountains, singing together, playing guitar, rushing water; was what they loved, so they naturally landed on New Hampshire. They created a stronger bond and life here than they could have ever imagined.

After 3 years of asking, Cole finally gave his last try and asked to marry Kim on Memorial Day weekend, ensuring all the things she wished for: hike, outdoors, the animals, her family, and a beautiful ring they picked together.

They are thrilled to celebrate their many years of love, growing together, and adventuring with everyone; as they spend the rest of their lives doing just that. But never forget the dogs ;)