Eric and I met in 2018 at the Kimpton Hotel Vintage in Portland, OR where Eric was working as a Valet and I had started at the front desk. Sharing Mondays as a day off, we became fast friends, with Eric taking me to all his favorite hiking spots and finishing with some of the best food Portland has to offer.

We remained friends for two years until we found ourselves unemployed with the Covid-19 epidemic. When the hotel shut down, Eric invited me to visit him and his family in Morgan Hill, California and it didn’t take much convincing! Eric took me to all of his favorite places and we shared some beautiful moments kayaking in Monterey Bay and walking amongst giants in the Redwood Forest.

Our week of exploring California together was cut short, I was called back to duty at the hotel, still closed, where I would begin 8 months of overnight security shifts. Eric kept me sane during these times. Whenever I wasn’t at the hotel, I was with Eric. Whether we were out hiking and camping or simply playing frisbee in the park, together we made the most of every darn moment of that pandemic.

In 2021, we moved into a house together in West Linn, Oregon where we are excited to settle in and make it our home. (We’ve got lots of work to do!). We love living right on the Tualatin river where we can escape into nature at a moments notice and we are blessed to be surrounded by great neighbors and friends.

Eric now works remotely for Gusto, as an onboarding specialist and I am now the General Manager of the Hotel deLuxe. We continue to spend every moment of free time getting outside and now spending time with our growing family as we have both welcomed nieces and nephews. We love living in Oregon and are excited to grow our family soon.

One quirky thing about our relationship is that both Eric and I were born on April 12th, with a few years in between. We love having this special connection with each other and every year intend to take a trip to celebrate and make memories.

Eric proposed to me on March 12, 2023 in Nazare Portugal. One of our very favorite things to do together is to drive out to the Oregon coast during winter storms and watch the big waves crash for hours. Nazare is known for having some of the biggest waves on earth, so Eric knew this would be a special place to pop the question.

This year, we will be taking our two immediate families back to Portugal to elope on June 12th, 2024. With our families not having had the opportunity to meet yet, we wanted a very intimate and personal week to bring our two families together to celebrate our love and truly have an uninterrupted opportunity to get to know each other. We will be married by Eric’s sister Allison, my sisters will stand by my side as my maid and matron of honor, and Eric’s dad Mark, will stand by his side as his best man.

We intend to celebrate with our greater families upon our return in both Chicago and in Morgan Hill, California. Stay tuned for more information to come!