You're Invited
Our Story
How We Met
As we sit and reflect on the last decade of being friends and partners, we realize its a tall order to summarize our story into something short and sweet. It has been a beautiful development over the course of our lives and continues to unfold daily.
If we go back to the very beginning, we first spoke to each other in 2012 outside of the Red Onion Cafe in Burlington, Vermont. Church Street was a bustling social environment and at that time Zach worked at a small shop nearby. On his way to work he passed me and baby Kilo, who was all of 8 weeks old, and asked if he could pet him. Zach scooped him up, as Kilo wiggled. We exchanged smiles and he went on his way. Ill never forget that moment…
As time went on, our friend groups intertwined and we became closer. For most of the following few years we were both in other relationships yet we always remained close. There had always seemed to be a strong connection between us and the friendship strengthened as we spent more time in various social settings around Burlington.
Then, in 2015 after Zach had graduated and moved out of Vermont, I saw he made a post about his travel plans back to Southeast Asia. I felt so inspired by him but my heart also sank at the thought of not knowing when I’d see him next. I reached out to congratulate him on his journey and he responded saying he’d love to connect before his one-way flight.
That next week Zach came up to Boston to visit his cousin and we made plans to get lunch on Newbury Street. I remember being so nervous going to meet him, fixing my hair repeatedly in the car before going to meet him in the park. As I walked into Boston Commons, I turned the corner and saw the most handsome man sitting on a bench waiting for me. As his head turned he stood up, smiling ear to ear, he picked me up and hugged me… this embrace made my whole world shake and settle all at once. The rest of the day was completely effortless, we talked and laughed and carried on in the same way we had known each other, except something was different now. One afternoon turned into spending the whole weekend together, the last night he even came home to Middleton and had dinner with my parents.
Zach left back for Connecticut the next day and subsequently invited me to join him down at his parents house to be with him for the few days leading up to his departure. Bill and Martine opened their home to me and treated me like family (Bill even referring to me as his daughter in law the first day we met). I remember Z looking at me during those days and saying he was open to staying in the States with me, that it was going to be hard to imagine not being together. I looked at him and reassured him he needed to walk his path and I needed to walk mine. I knew in my heart that we would be together again, whether it was this side of the earth or the other.
Nine months later, after staying in contact and sharing about our separate experiences, there was an opportunity for us to be together again. He was ready to move on from his situation and tossed out that he was open to returning home. At this time my brother, Jim, was beginning to build his medical cannabis facility. I relayed my intentions to move north and work along side him. I told Z I would love for him to be beside me to start this next chapter of my life. Three days later he booked his return flight home and a week later he was living with me at our house in Middleton. There we set the foundation for our relationship and his relationship with my parents. He worked alongside my father, Jim, and then would come home and hang in the kitchen with my mom Patty as her designated taste tester. After some time we found our first home in Maine and moved up there to really start our journey as a duo.
There are so many fine details to this origin story, many of you I'm sure have your own memories. We are so grateful for the early days of our friendship and relationship. It seems like a lifetime ago as we have grown into completely different people ten times over, yet our love and devotion to each other has not wavered in the slightest.
The Proposal
The story of the proposal(s) spans a number of years. Dating back to the very first proposal in 2019. In mid December we decided to take a vacation even further north to the lovely coastal Maine community of Deer Isle. We stayed in this tiny little cabin near the sea with snowy views of the shore. The entire area was desolate during that time, with most its inhabitants fleeing from the cold winter months. It was incredibly serene, we cooked most meals in and had tea at the one place that seemed open.
We spent those days waking up slow and loading up in the car to explore the area. We hopped around from rocky beach to rocky beach. One afternoon we left the isle and explored the main land. We found ourselves in the town of Blue Hill and subsequently stumbled upon a small trailhead that led up to the local lookout. We climbed the trail, with kilo in tow, in awe of the beauty cast across the snowy scene by the setting sun. Of course at this time of the year the sun sets well before 4pm, so late afternoon hike turned to a sunset stroll. Once at the top we stood together, our little family staring out over the vast ocean. Small islands dotted the icy coast, the sun setting to our right bringing out the warmest transition in the sky. The full moon had already begun to rise to our left, lifting above the horizon at three times its normal size. I felt something move within me. I was so overtaken by the intense beauty of the moment… I felt I could not let it pass without immortalizing it. With her back to me staring out over the world below, I made a choice. When she turned around I was down on one knee, deep in the cold snow as I awaited her response. She smiled at me, surprised yet elated and agreed to be my wife.
We like to call this one our ‘spiritual’ engagement. As I had yet to ask her parents for their blessing and lock down a ring. So I promised her a formal redo when I got everything else in order.
It may have taken a few years to get things fully sorted, and in that time I proposed a handful of other times. Whenever we found ourselves in an incredible moment I would remind her of my undying love for her and graciously ask again. Then, in 2022, not long after we moved down to Asheville, the stars aligned and I asked her once again. This time I had a beautiful ring made with love by one of our closest friends.
We stayed up one lovely night in May to watch the lunar eclipse from our front patio. The sky was clear and the night air filled with stars and fireflies. We danced to our favorite music and laughed at each other jokes for hours, curled up in our hammock awaiting the full eclipse. Right as the moon started to come back into sight I got down on a knee and sealed the deal with one more ask. We went on to dance in each others arms until the moon had fully returned.
I also vowed to her that night that I would never stop proposing to her. Wherever life took us, when a moment arose that gave me an opportunity to express my love I would take it… every time. I will continue to do so in these moments forever…