In January of 2023, Josh was attending a regifting party with friends and he began talking to Daryl and Anna Fendley. Josh knew that they used to swing dance and he was looking for fun social interactions, so he asked if they knew of any upcoming swing dancing events. Anna, a dance enthusiast, was more than happy to give Josh information about local Facebook swing dancing groups. Little did he know…she had an ulterior motive.

Anna is one of Michelle’s best friends and had also known Josh for years. She suspected that Josh and Michelle would be a great match and had been looking for an opportunity to set up a meet cute for the two of them. Without mentioning her intentions, Anna excitedly told Josh about the upcoming “Spring Swing” event at the University of Arkansas ballroom.

Separately, Anna encouraged Michelle to come to the Spring Swing, without disclosing that Josh would be there. Michelle reluctantly agreed, knowing that she did not have a date, and did not want to be a third wheel. On the night of the dance, Josh was already at the ballroom when Michelle, Anna and Daryl arrived. Anna casually introduced Josh to Michelle and Michelle gave Anna one of those “What are you up to?” looks.

Josh and Michelle felt an instant connection, and as they talked and danced multiple times throughout the night, their connection continued to grow. They had a fantastic time and ended up joining a small group of friends after the dance to get dinner in Fayetteville. After dinner, Anna feigned the need to leave early and asked if anyone else could take Michelle home. Michelle (knowing exactly what Anna’s intentions were) was secretly excited, while trying to “play it cool”. Josh, being the only one who lived in Fayetteville, volunteered to take Michelle. However, as they drove and conversed, their connection scared them both. Josh was recently divorced and not looking for a serious relationship. Michelle had never considered dating a single dad before. In light of these feelings, when they got to Michelle’s house, Josh abruptly said, “Good night!” and Michelle said “Yep, nice meeting you!” and Josh quickly drove off.

A day or so later, Michelle sent a Facebook friend request to Josh. He accepted it, but did not pursue any further communication with Michelle. Still terrified about the feelings that he had for her, he even tried to convince himself that he was not attracted to her. This coping mechanism was obviously doomed to fail. Little did he know, it had taken Michelle a lot of courage to reach out as she was also scared of the connection they had. She couldn’t get him out of her head!

In the weeks that followed, Josh took an adventure road trip through Colorado and Utah. By this point, Michelle was wondering why Josh had not attempted to contact her, after having such a great connection at the Spring Swing. Thankfully, Anna arranged for a private swing dancing lesson for several of the couples who had attended the Spring Swing, including Josh and Michelle. Although Michelle was told Josh was invited, she was worried he would show up with another date since he hadn’t responded to her attempt to reach out. Her fears evaporated when she arrived at the house and Josh beelined towards her. Josh was excited to see her and they had a great time during the dance lessons.

After the lessons ended, Josh and Michelle talked for quite some time in the driveway of the house and Josh offered to take Michelle hiking sometime. Michelle contacted Josh the next day saying she was ready for an adventure. Josh obliged! Inquiring about the level of intensity she was up for on the hike, Michelle remarked, “I am up for whatever level of intensity you can do” (she clearly didn’t know Josh yet). Excited by her response, Josh proceeded to plan a trip to Eye of the Needle, one of the most challenging (dangerous) hikes in Arkansas, offering to let her use his helmet for the most intense section of the hike. On the Friday before the hike, Michelle was buying gear from a local outdoor equipment retailer and Josh invited her to join him for tacos at a local food truck. They had a great evening, but their connection only grew stronger, eliciting even more fear in Josh and Michelle.

During the hike, Josh and Michelle were extremely open and honest with each other about who they were, their beliefs, their values, and about a dozen other things that you generally don’t bring up on a first hiking date. Josh also made it clear that he was not looking for a serious relationship and was just taking his time to get to know people. While they had a really great time on the hike and they clearly had a strong connection and shared values, Josh was afraid of entering into a serious relationship and Michelle had some concerns that they might have different life goals. Even so, they planned another hike two weeks later.

When the day of the second hike arrived, Michelle and Josh were excited and ready to hike to the Goat Trail. While on the hike, Michelle stated that she didn’t want to go too fast in any potential relationship. In response, Josh put his foot securely in his mouth, stating, “Don’t worry! It’s not like we are really dating yet. I actually just recently went on a date with someone else.” Michelle, paused, turned to Josh, and clearly stated, “You know…I’m not here just to hike!” While awkward, that interaction opened the door for some really fruitful conversations and they ended up having a great time on the hike.

The next day, Josh was weighed down by the entire situation and what to do next. Likewise, Michelle was sorting through her feelings and wondering if Josh would end things. After prayer, thoughtful processing of what Michelle had said, and moving past his fear, Josh realized that he wanted to pursue an exclusive relationship with her. He called Michelle that night and told her his intentions. Josh did not want any distractions, as he figured out whether there was something serious with Michelle. When they hung up the phone, Michelle did a happy dance.

Over the next few months, their relationship grew and they enjoyed plays, hiking adventures, dinners, serving together, geeking out over movies, and a camping trip to Colorado. Towards the end of this time period, Josh decided to introduce Michelle to his sons, Dylan and Thomas. They thought Michelle was great and continued to get to know her in the months that followed.

Through the Fall, the holidays, and a long Winter, Michelle and Josh shared experiences, got to know friends and family, and solidified their love for one another. On a Spring day in April, about one year after the hike that began it all, they returned to the Goat Trail. But this time, it was different. Standing there on the bluff, overlooking the Buffalo National River, Josh professed his love for Michelle, bent down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. As a random assortment of hikers on the bluff cheered, Josh embraced Michelle, kissed her, and placed a ring on her finger.

M&J

Wedding Day