our story
Time can be so strange. Entire months can go by in a blur without anything memorable happening at all. Then a day, or a moment, comes along and it changes you. It alters your life’s trajectory in a way that is imprinted into your mind forever. The day we met was one of those days for us. We’ve had many unforgettable moments since then, and are excited to share our love story with you.
First date
We met up at Union Station to tour the Pompeii exhibit.
CALEB
The first time I met Kayla in person was on our first date…that we know of. Considering we went to KU together and she frequented the bar I worked at, it’s surprising we never met prior. I think we ended up meeting at the perfect time when we were both ready for the other.
We met in classic millennial fashion through a dating app and talked for weeks about our mutual nerdy interests. There was none of the typical bland small talk that drives most early conversations because we both lead with our strong opinions (strong opinions? Shocker I know). I decided that this girl was going to need something more than the traditional “dinner and a movie” so I planned a trip to the Pompeii exhibit at Union Station since I knew she had studied in Italy. I just remember instantly clicking and being myself throughout the date (I normally deal out my weird in small doses).
I knew she was special when I read the description of a small sign across the exhibit and Kayla barked out “no freaking way you can read that”. I replied with “oh, yeah?” and proceeded to march her to the placard to prove I was right. We had both completely forgotten we were on a date with a total stranger because it felt like we had known each other for ages. I’ll always remember this day as the day that I met the love of my life as well as the last time I won an argument.
KAYLA
Our first date was both totally unexpected and wonderful. Up to that point we had mainly talked online about our mutual love for Game of Thrones, so when we actually met in person I didn’t know much about him other than he was also a closet nerd.
When we met I remember thinking how cute he was in person, and funny, and charming, and easy to talk to. Our tour of the Pompeii exhibit ended all too soon, and I dragged my feet not wanting the date to end. Caleb suggested we continue on our Italian themed outing and grab a bite at a pizzeria down the street. I felt so at ease, but at the same time mesmerized and giddy to learn more about him.
Caleb eventually walked me to my car, where (I’m sure it will surprise absolutely no one) we continued talking. At one point I looked at my clock and realized our date had lasted almost eight hours, and like Cinderella I had to get back to my responsibilities. In this case, letting my pup out. On the way home that night I couldn’t deny the feeling that I was already hooked on this almost-stranger and was ecstatic to see him again.
proposal
We journeyed across the Atlantic to explore the Emerald Isle.
CALEB
I knew early on I was going to propose to Kayla and spend the rest of my life with her. It wasn’t just because everyone who met her said “you need to lock that down before she comes to her senses!”, but I truly couldn’t see myself with anyone else. Kayla somehow manages to temper, put up with, and completely endorse my weirdness all at the same time. I am without a doubt a better person with Kayla by my side. Truthfully, I very rarely plan far out into the future and prefer to live closer to the moment, but in this case I had a clear picture of where I wanted to be.
Kayla is the polar opposite of me in terms of planning ahead, and started talking about going ring shopping together when we got to the point where things got serious. I knew that was not what I wanted to do because I get no more satisfying pleasure than from a well-executed surprise. I got the basic idea of what she wanted in a ring through some clever detective work and had her mom help me do the shopping. I also knew I wanted this to be a moment that we would never forget so I started planning a trip to our ancestral roots in Ireland. The trip was incredible and everything we could ever ask for in a vacation. I carried the ring with me the whole time we were in Ireland and ultimately decided to get down on one knee when we visited Lough Hyne, the destination that Kayla was most looking forward to on the trip.
We arrived at the lake after a somewhat scary (ok terrifying) trip through the narrowest roads in all of Ireland. This saltwater lake is about two hours outside of the city of Cork, but well worth the trip. We kayaked out onto the lake at sunset and got to enjoy the glowing microscopic plant life that truly makes this destination worth the trip. I had the ring inside my sweater the entire time and planned to pop the question on the water but decided a late-night dive in the event of a drop would potentially lessen the experience. I waited until we got back to shore and proceeded to nearly throw up from stage fright (I know! Me with stage fright???). I was able to power through and put my feelings into words and Kayla capped off the experience by saying yes.
KAYLA
I can’t remember the exact moment I fell in love with Caleb. It happened when I wasn’t paying attention or looking for it. He has this way of keeping me laughing and not letting me take life too seriously. Plain and simple, I’m more fun when he’s around. At any given time, I have the next five years mapped out in my head. He reminds me to cherish each moment as it happens instead of instantly jumping to the next milestone. He even makes me eat vegetables. Well, he tries at least. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m the best version of myself when we are together. I’m braver, more confident, and stronger because I know down deep in my soul that he has my back no matter what.
When Caleb said he wanted to go to Ireland because both our families’ roots trace back there, I was all for it. Traveling and exploring new places is my greatest passion in life. Everything was going well until about three days before we left. I realized the thing I wanted to see the most was two hours from where we were staying. So I rented us a car because I thought, how hard can it possibly be to drive on the opposite side of the car and street while trying to navigate the world’s tiniest and windiest roads? Turns out, very hard. I drove a bit, then we decided Caleb would do the rest of the driving during the trip. For safety reasons.
Our somewhat tumultuous journey was well worth it when we finally reached our destination, Lough Hyne. The unique salt water lake is famous for the microscopic bioluminescent phytoplankton that live under the surface of the water. They store up energy from the sun during the day, and then at night they release it (when disturbed) like a sparkler on the Fourth of July. Kayaking the lake with Caleb at sunset was the most magical and romantic thing I have ever experienced. I was floating on cloud nine when we got back to shore, so it took me by surprise when Caleb grabbed my hands and said he wanted to talk to me. He told me how much he loved me, and that he couldn’t picture his life without me in it, and he asked me to marry him. I said yes of course, and that is the story of how we got engaged.
GALLERY
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Here are a few shots from the highlight reel of our favorite adventures.
