Wyatt and I met the summer before our senior year of high school. We were two teenagers with different interests: me being sport obsessed and Wyatt being farm obsessed. We got to know each other slowly, hanging out every weekend and slowly merging our interests. And before we knew it, we had become inseparable.

After graduation, life took us in different directions—Wyatt headed off to Wyoming for school, while I stayed closer to home. But we weren’t ready to let go, and so we began our year of long-distance. It wasn’t easy, but we made it work, flying to see each other or meeting each other halfway in South Dakota. The time apart only made us stronger, and it was clear that what we had was something special.

After Wyatt graduated college, and after living together in an apartment for a year, at just 19 years old, we did something a lot of people thought was crazy: we bought a house. Everyone had their doubts, but we knew it was the right step for us. Even though we were young, it felt like the beginning of everything.

Now, in our careers, me, as a high school special education teacher and Wyatt working as a diesel mechanic, we’ve built a life that’s uniquely ours. We’ve shared so many moments, from binging several different tv shows, enjoying numerous dinners together, getting competitive on the pickleball court, and of course, countless traveling adventures. Whether it’s planning detailed trips or heading to Denver to catch a Nuggets game (which is quickly becoming a yearly tradition), we’ve learned to embrace the joy of experiencing the world together.

It wasn’t long before my love of travel became one of the defining features of our relationship. Whether it was a weekend getaway or an international adventure, I was always up for seeing new places, and Wyatt—while not necessarily the first to book the tickets—was right there, tagging along for the ride. I’m the planner, the one who sets the dates and makes sure everything’s organized, while Wyatt, our easygoing "go with the flow" guy, just asks, "What days do I need to take off again?" It’s a balance that works perfectly for us.

Right after buying our house, we added a new edition to our family with Lexa, our dog, who quickly became the center of our world. Lexa’s goofy personality matched ours perfectly, and she’s been our faithful sidekick on countless adventures—whether we are hiking through nature or just hanging out in our cozy home.

Our journey has been full of surprises, challenges, and endless laughter, and now, as we prepare to marry each other, I can’t help but feel incredibly lucky to have found someone who is my rock, my best friend, and my biggest supporter.

Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, and a few more trips to Denver. Let’s go make some more memories.