Our story began in January 2025 when we arranged to meet for a first date at the beloved Mosier Company. Michael, who had recently returned from staying in British Columbia during a layoff and was preparing to return to the US Forest Service, was immediately smitten upon seeing Brittany—it took all of about 30 minutes for the love bug to strike, though she was the shy one initially! We shared a delicious Farmers Pizza and great conversation, kicking off a romance that quickly sped up. In a great gamble that paid off the jackpot, Brittany invited Michael on a multi-day retreat near Mount Hood the very next week! Though we hardly knew each other, we instantly bonded while cooking, starting a mushroom puzzle, making hot toddies, and walking together in the flurries of the snowy, magical forest.

Our early months involved Michael making the regular drive from Washougal to see Brittany. This continued until late March when duty called him back to Arizona for wildland fire season. Knowing the distance would be tough, and driven by a strong desire to secure her love as his own before he left, Michael proposed! Along a special stretch of the Columbia River where we hunt for beach glass, she said yes! Six months felt like an eternity of fire lookout shifts, FaceTime screenshots, and dreaming of our future. Now, we’re joyfully back together—six weeks in, funnily enough, the exact amount of time we knew each other before the proposal—and ready to officially begin our lifelong journey. Turns out, Michael was destined to return to BC all along, because he can't wait to spend forever with Brittany Carrigan!