In August, I got a direct message (DM) on Instagram from a guy (Dakota) from high school. The message was something along the lines of telling me I was cute and asking if we could go out sometime. I was skeptical only because we never spoke in high school, and I was not looking for anything. I sent the message to one of our mutual friends, and she only had good things to say and encouraged me to go out with him at least once. Thank goodness she hyped him up because the date went very well, and we were inseparable, minus the few months we had to go long distance because work was taking him to Montana. Dakota came into my life at what I did not know would be a pivotal time. I lost my "uncle", and my grandpa was diagnosed with myeloid leukemia. Dakota cared for me during grief and frustration, and helped me take care of my grandparents. His sacrifice, care, and loving heart are nothing short of what anyone would want in a partner. I won't continue to express what a fantastic man he is, but I can only hope and pray that I can be his rock and supporter as he is mine. He proposed to me on March 8, 2025, and we said yes to a new beginning. We can't wait to celebrate and make special memories with our family and friends.

Let me set the scene. One warm Thursday night in August, I was sitting in my kitchen, scrolling through Instagram. I came across a girl I somewhat knew from high school. After a little liquid courage, I made a decision that would change the rest of my life. I messaged Meg:

"You mad cute. Wanna go with me and my friends to Power and Light Saturday?"

That could’ve easily been my first mistake—but to my surprise, she messaged me back! (She rejected me...) Still, I somehow convinced her to let me take her out for sushi and Brkthrough, which turned out to be a night I’ll never forget.

In the weeks that followed, we kept talking and started to grow closer. We found things we had in common and shared so many fun experiences. At the time, I was traveling a lot for work and would be gone for long stretches, but I think it only made us stronger. We spent hours on FaceTime and phone calls, which became instrumental in building the foundation of a relationship that would be tested again and again.

Flash forward to March 8th, 2025: I finally popped the question! I was so nervous I could barely speak to her on the way. I got down on one knee, showed her the ring, and before I could even finish asking her to marry me—I was on the floor. She tackled me...

We’ve been through hardships and stood by each other through it all. She amazes me every single day and always pushes me to be the best version of myself. She grounds me and will forever be the last face I see at night and the first face I look forward to in the morning.

I love this girl more than I ever thought I could love anything, and I know I’ll have the best life with her by my side.