Like many millennial couples, Sarah and Travis met online via the Hinge app. Travis reached out to Sarah to comment on a portion of her profile that said "must travel well and my dog has to like you." Travis started the conversation with a hello, a list of where he had travelled, and said he would have bacon in his pocket when he met Goldie. Sarah found this charming and a first date was planned. To her disappointment, she learned Travis was only in town to buy a vehicle and didn't actually live in Washington. This made the first date very relaxed since no one really thought a long distance relationship from Alaska would be manageable. A few weeks later, Travis planned a quick second date at the airport as he passed through to fly down to Mexico. The couple enjoyed a coffee at Starbucks behind security (perks of Sarah working at Alaska Airlines at the time) and shared a first kiss at gate C15.

As the text message conversation starting picking up, Sarah and Travis started to realize that there was something special about the other person. Travis then asked Sarah if she would want to join him for a weekend in Mexico. Now usually, a third date in Mexico sounds like something out of a Dateline special, but Sarah figured she could book her own place and tell other folks at the airline where she would be and for how long (a girl can't be too careful!). The trip was wonderful. Travis booked a special tour to swim with the whale sharks in La Paz and then enjoy a ceviche tostada lunch on the beach while dolphins played in the surf. It was truly magical. It was the first on the list of many adventures the two of them would have over the next 3 years.

For a year, Travis would fly down and visit Sarah and Goldie in Seattle or Sarah would catch a jump seat up north. Sarah had switched to a 4 days on, 4 days off shift and it was easier for her to come and spend her days off in Anchorage but knew it would need to change soon since Goldie would be left alone or with the sitter a lot. The couple decided Travis would move south to Seattle. Sarah changed companies to get a normal weekday job again, and Travis started purging the Anchorage house of items. However, the house had other plans! In January 2023, a pipe burst and flooded the living room which led to a larger construction project than expected. It was then decided Sarah would quit her job and move north!

For a year and a half after the move to Anchorage, Travis and Sarah enjoyed traveling, adventuring, hiking, and learning about one another. Then on September 3rd, 2024, they went on a beautiful hike to the lake at the base of O'Malley peak and Travis asked Sarah to marry him. The joke between them is that they need to take care of themselves because I expect 40+ years from you, and Travis incorporated this in the proposal by saying that he doesn't know how many days he will ultimately get, but asked if they could spend the rest of them together. Sarah said yes, and they celebrated!

It's difficult to describe the connection and understanding they have for one another. So we'll just leave it as "you were worth the wait."