We met, we clicked, and never really stopped hanging out.

Almost four years later, we’ve built a life full of laughter, dirt, dogs, and detours. Our relationship is made of long drives, trail snacks, early morning hikes, and a shared obsession with plants and crystals (it’s fine, we’re fine).

Together, we’ve wandered forests, deserts, canyons, and coastlines. We’ve hiked in Canyonlands and the Uintas, scrambled through Goblin Valley and Craters of the Moon, watched stars at Flaming Gorge, roamed Denver, stood on the edge of the world at the Oregon Coast, and tempted fate in the Black Canyon. We’ve tracked down petroglyphs, hunted for arrowheads, foraged for berries, and developed an alarming ability to identify random rocks and plants.

Atlas, our four-legged sidekick, has been with us for the whole journey. He’s fast, kind, curious, and fully convinced the world belongs to him. He’s also the grumpiest little old man when he’s tired—honestly, the attitude he dishes out is shocking. But our adventures wouldn’t feel complete without him.

The proposal happened at the end of a multi-day backpacking trip in the Palisades. We were sunburned, sore, and running on freeze-dried meals and pure stubbornness. On a bridge over a roaring river, I asked Mark to marry me. He stared at me for what felt like way too long and said, “You’re joking, right?” (I wasn’t.)

Now we’re getting married. We can’t wait to celebrate with you—hopefully with fewer blisters and more snacks.

~A