It was freshman year, and I had always heard of this “fun thing” called Sing-Song! At the time, I thought there wasn’t much else to do, so why not? I remember feeling frustrated about being drafted into the “wrong” act while all my friends were in the other. I’d love to say that this frustration eventually changed, and everything turned out perfect—but that wasn’t quite the case. I went through Sing-Song, made some friends, and also skipped quite a few practices along the way.

For the practices I did attend, though, I distinctly remember this very demanding girl up front who was adamant that we weren’t doing well enough. Turns out, she was right—we ended up in last place. But something else stuck with me: this demanding girl was beautiful.

Over the next couple of busy years, I’d occasionally see her around. We were always friendly, but nothing more. That changed one day when I decided to grab coffee with two good friends, Myra and Joi. The three of us had formed a squad after working together on the steering committee for Wildcat Week. We hadn’t hung out in a while, so we figured it’d be a good chance to catch up and do some homework.

Our productive hangout quickly shifted when Logan Bourland walked in. I gave my usual “Hey!” along with, “Y’all killed it on the float this year!” I expected a quick “thank you” before she got her coffee and left, but instead, she sat down with us. Total party crasher! Though she interrupted, it was quickly forgiven as she and I started catching up, talking about everything that had happened over the course of college.

The conversation eventually moved to her house, where we played Just Dance, and, of course, I got to meet Logan’s dog, Rookie, who she wouldn’t stop posting about. It was so much fun hanging out and laughing with everyone. The night was briefly interrupted when Myra and Logan had to attend a Greek life meeting, but eventually, they returned, and we picked up right where we left off—talking, laughing, and, yes, more time playing with Rookie. What felt like just ten minutes turned into hours of conversation.

Back in the living room with the group, I immediately realized I wanted to ask this girl on a date. But how? I thought about it and came up with an idea—what if we “built a fire pit”? We’d spend the day having fun, making a spot to enjoy a cozy fire together that night. Romantic, I know.

So that’s what we did. We built the fire pit, made s’mores, and even carved pumpkins. But the part that stands out most was the detour to the Bourland ranch. We could’ve bought $5 firewood at United, but no—Logan insisted we go to her family’s ranch to “borrow” firewood. I still don’t know how you “borrow” firewood, but all I could think was, Wow, this is the first date. I can do this.

When we arrived, I was struck by how humble and kind her family was, and I even got to talk to her dad, who had the baseball game on. That detour was my first glimpse of how important family was to Logan, a value she still holds dear. She loves others so well, and that’s something I know will never change.

That first date was fun but not nearly as fun as what’s ahead.

Registry