We met in September 2022 at the Balboa Café in San Francisco and our relationship nearly ended before it started. Blake had a broken arm, and Shannon walked up with an opening line that still makes us laugh: “Are you my friend?” to which Blake replied, “No” and we very easily could’ve left it there… until one of Blake’s friends kicked him under the table and whispered, “You should talk to her.” So Blake introduced himself, Shannon stayed, and that infamous night turned into the beginning of everything.

We exchanged numbers, and Blake tried to suggest drinks, Shannon was firm on a dinner instead of drinks, and dinner it was at Tailor’s Son on Fillmore. We also realized we lived just three blocks apart, so Blake walked Shannon there. Somewhere between the conversation and the wine (Blake brought a bottle for corkage, and Shannon was impressed he actually knew what that meant), we realized how much overlap we had — in our upbringings, our values, and how centered our lives are around family and the outdoors (especially skiing).

A few months in, Blake invited Shannon on a ski trip to his Whistler cabin with friends — which Shannon interpreted as: you should probably ask me to be your girlfriend first. A few weeks later, he did. Not long after, we said “I love you” for the first time in a way that felt perfectly us: Shannon admitted she really, really liked Blake, and Blake responded, “Can we just call a spade a spade and say we love each other?” Direct, simple, and exactly right.

From there, we became a mix of big adventures and everyday rhythms. We took a bigger international trip to Bali and Singapore, and later had what might be our favorite trip ever: Japan — a perfect combination of powder, great food, and wandering. We also found our groove at home: early on, Blake did most of the cooking (Shannon had a personal rule about not cooking until things were official), and once we were official Shannon raised the bar with her cooking abilities. We started backpacking together too — including Shannon finally sharing some of her “family secret” Sierra spots and teaching Blake the ropes.

One of our favorite “this is love” moments came on our first Valentine’s Day, when Shannon gave Blake a backcountry ski guide day at Palisades. Somewhere out there, Shannon’s phone fell into the snow without her noticing. When we realized it back at the village, we snowshoed for 2.5 hours back into the backcountry in ski boots to find it. Hunger and sore calves kicked in, but Blake called ahead for pizza with extra ranch (Shannon’s favorite), and we ended the day with the phone recovered and a very real confirmation that we’re in this together — even when it’s a little ridiculous.

When it came time for the proposal, Blake planned it around Shannon’s roots: the Friday after Thanksgiving at Ridge Vineyard in Cupertino, Shannon’s favorite holiday and family gathering spot. Shannon had some suspicions after Blake turned down a Canucks hockey game on that afternoon, and Blake made a couple of adorably human mistakes — like proposing from a little too far away and opening the ring box upside down — but she said yes. After celebrating at Ridge, Blake pulled off the real surprise: bringing Shannon back to her childhood home for an engagement party with friends and family. There were tears (from both of us), incredible wine, and the perfect ending: late night burgers with our favorite people.

Looking back, our story is a mix of coincidence, persistence, and the steady choice to show up for each other — on ski slopes, on trails, at the dinner table, and in all the little moments in between. We can’t wait to celebrate with you and start the next chapter together.