Most people prefer not to think of Spring of 2020. It was a crisis like we've never experienced and the impact of the pandemic still affects how we go about our day to day lives. For Lauren and Timothy though, it's where their story began. They both were mindlessly swiping away on Hinge (for our older folks it's an online dating app, similar to Tinder) in between Zoom meetings and binge watching Netflix shows when they stumbled across each other. Instantly they connected and talked for hours every day about growing up in North Carolina, music, goals, hobbies, and everything in between. After about a month of nonstop talking - they finally were able to find COVID tests, get tested, and meet up for their first "date." Due to everything still being shutdown - restaurants, movies, coffee shops, etc weren't an option, so they went another route...Tim tried to teach Lauren how to drive his manual transmission car. (For the record, it's over two years later and she still doesn't know how to drive it). But from that day forward, the two have been inseparable, and both look forward to a spending a lifetime together.

Lauren's side: I knew he was the one for a couple of reasons. For one, he has consistently gotten me out of my comfort zone in the best of ways. Kayaking, fishing, shooting shot guns at the range...ask anyone that knows me I am not an outdoor person. Tim shared with me his hobbies and now the times we spend on the kayaks fishing together are some of our most cherished moments. Also, I always felt safe and assured with him, from the very beginning. Dating in our generation can be tough. Tim was always straight forward and honest with me about what he wanted...and that was me!

Tim's side: Lauren has always loved me so selflessly. I initially knew she was the one because I at-times lack patience, and she's always late...but that was never a dealbreaker. Early on in our relationship I joked that if we ever got married that I would vow to always wait for her. It's funny how things come full circle.