Gus and Tara meet through mutual friends in college during a float trip in August of 2022. Tara was in Springfield, MO attending Missouri State University, and living in an apartment with her good friend, Ally Kamp then - Hilmes). Ally was dating (her now husband) Nate Kamp who lived with Gus where they both attended Missouri S&T. Ally planned the float trip before the semester would start the following week, and told Nate to invite his friends along and that "cute single girls would be there"

Gus and Tara meet, and as the weekend progressed, they started to flirt and had long conversations around the campfire about music. You could almost say, sparks were flying. Before Gus left that weekend to go back home, he asked Tara out on a date, and of course she said yes.