We met for the first time in Fresno, CA in January 2015, on our first day of Parkmedic training. We were both working as seasonal law enforcement rangers for the National Park Service. After the 2 month training, we both went back to our respective parks, Yellowstone and Great Smoky Mountains. We kept up with one another with an occasional text and through Facebook. In November 2015, we both interviewed for a job at Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida....I (Liz) got the job. In January 2016, Chase got a call from Everglades National Park for a seasonal job only an hour away from where I was working. On March 14, 2016, Chase finally took me on a date. Chase really set the bar high on the first date. He arranged for us to fly by sea plane from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park, where we camped under the stars, snorkeled the reefs, and watched the most amazing sunset I have ever seen (seriously he really set the bar high). We were inseparable after that weekend.

We both knew fairly quickly that we wanted to spend our lives together and we finally found a place and a park to settle in to. We made the big step to buy a home together and the week that we closed on our house, Chase asked if I wanted to go on a hike in the park. I said sure but I was confused about why he would want to go hiking on the first day that we could move into the new house. It was a Monday morning and we hit the trail early, Chase is never late. He told me it was a fairly uphill trail, that was an understatement. Six miles of switchbacks later, we arrived at the Mount Cammerer lookout tower. We sat down, both soaked with sweat and ate our pb&j's on the side of the tower while looking at the amazing view. Chase told me he was going to go measure the dimensions of the tower (this is completely normal, for anyone who knows Chase) so I just stayed sitting where I was and took some pictures of the view. Then I heard Chase call for me to come over and look at a cool rock he found on the side of the tower. I walked around the corner and he was on one knee holding a REALLY cool rock, he asked and I said of course and then we had to hike six more miles back to the car. It was the best day.