It all began in Houston, Texas. From meeting on the first day of grad school, to saving each other seats in our evening classes, to closing down restaurants as we talked for hours at late-night dinners after class, we had a lot of years for our love to grow.
We first learned that we love to travel together with ski trips to Kasey's family condo in Crested Butte, a camping trip to Smoky Mountain National Park, and a grand Alaskan adventure to see the northern lights.
During the pandemic, we began to dream of a change of pace, and soon after, the plan for van life was born. In 2022, we resigned from our jobs and began a seven-month trip through the U.S. and Canada in a converted Promaster van. It was a year of camping and hiking, and beautiful weather. We spent Spring in the southwest, Summer in the northwest, and Fall in the northeast. During this trip, we visited 25 National Parks, hiked about 1,000 miles, and occasionally stealth parked on city streets, even in NYC!
While on this incredible 2022 adventure, inspired by the book Wild, we parked the van in storage for three weeks and hiked 250 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from Cascade Locks, Oregon to Snoqualimie Pass, Washington. Little did we know that three years later, in 2025, we'd go back for more, and Kasey would propose on a section of the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington, near the place we left off.
After finishing 2022 in our beloved van, we launched a private counseling practice, Kasey began a coding bootcamp, and we both began working remotely. This afforded us the choice of deciding where to live, and what better place than beautiful Bend, Oregon. We love residing in the PNW, and we're so grateful for the friends who have quickly made this feel like home <3. Along with all the hikes, some of our favorite activities have been regularly skiing at Mt. Bachelor, just 20 minutes from our front door, as well as cutting down our own Christmas tree in the Deschutes National Forest.
We might not live on four wheels anymore, but with Bend as our home base, we continue to have much to explore. We've found our way to Banff for a second time, the Oregon coast, as well as many other weekend trips around Oregon and Washington. When we were missing the city a couple of years ago, we took off for New York for six weeks for a lot of Broadway and pizza, as well as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! Last but not least, we always love a good trip to visit family and friends!
We are so excited for this next chapter of our lives, and to dance and laugh off into the sunset of forever together!