When Tobias and Tabitha met back in the spring semester of '22, Tobias had returned from his study abroad semester in East Africa, Kenya, for the last week of finals week. But that was just the start, as it was only a "hello."

From there, they went their separate ways for the summer. As they returned for pre-season in the Fall of 2022 (Tobias' Junior year and Tabitha's Sophomore year), they discovered they were townhouse neighbors. As the preseason goes on, a friendship builds and a true bond that is solely a true friendship.

After a year of being neighbors, seeing each other every day on walks to class, games, trainings, etc., it comes to mid-April 2023 when Tobias confesses feelings before summer vacation. They prepare to go their separate ways for another summer, but before Tobias goes to the Adirondack mountains for his summer job, he makes it official on June 2, 2023, when they start to date. There, they spend their summer apart, only to be reunited for Tobias' sister's (Esther) wedding.

As their relationship grows during Tobias' Senior Year and Tabitha's Junior Year, Tobias starts to realize how strongly he loves Tabitha when he goes on Mayterm to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, realizing he wants to experience those life-changing adventures with her in the future. This feeling only grows more when, during the Fall semester of Tabitha's Senior Year, Tobias goes to work in Czechia for 4 months. He can't stand another trip without her, and he starts planning. Tabitha is jealous of his adventures and makes a plan to go on the 2025 Mayterm to Costa Rica. Tobias sends a few emails and gets on that trip. When the itinerary comes out, the planning commences. Hours and hours of research and planning, and the pieces start falling into place.

As Tobias returns on the night of Christmas Eve, the reality starts to set in while shopping for a ring begins. Eventually, after looking at hundreds of rings, the perfect one was found. As they prepared for their trip, Tobias made plans with friends for an epic proposal!

Fast forward a few days to May 18, 2025. With the ring secured in a small pocket of his bag, Tobias gets off the bus at Volcán Barva in Costa Rica. Today was the day. With Tabitha feeling car sick, it gives Tobias time to find the spot. With all his planning, he was only able to secure a videographer and the volcano where it was going to happen, but nothing else. As he was finding birds with Tabitha, there was more than just birds being found; "the spot" was discovered. Many times, he asked how she was feeling before she said she felt fine, and he could execute his plan.

Tobias runs off to find the videographer, but she had left on another hike, so he desperately finds someone else on the trip to help him out. As another group starts to show up, he gets nervous as they are walking to "his spot". The spot overlooks the dormant volcano's crater lake through gorgeous palm trees with Tanagers, Hummingbirds, Toucans, Oropendolas, and many more gorgeous avian friends flitting and gliding about to make the day more perfect. As Tobias pulls her to his spot, he points to an empty tree for her to find something in her binoculars as a drab brown bird flies in just to help him out. As she turns, he gets the ring and gets down on a knee. With a clutch videographer helping get the other people out of the way, she turns to see the perfect proposal.

SHE SAID YES!

We conclude this epic adventure of a day with a hike down to the lake with White Collared Manakins flying around (pictured below). When they get to the picturesque lake, it continues to rain for their swim. Nothing beats the calm of the lake with the rain dancing on the surface, creating little splashes of fireworks all around. Neotropic Cormorants landing in the lily pads, fish swimming freely around, and a newly engaged couple enjoys the refreshing rain and swims in the crater of Volcan Barva after a long day of hiking and birding.

The rest of our story is still being written as the next chapter begins on May 16, 2026.