It all started in the summer of 2021, around June to be more specific. But really, the first time we met was in her dorm room in March 2021. Not a word was said between her and me, and the only reason I was there was because we had a mutual friend, Connor Thigpen. It was brief, less than 30 minutes, and then I left with my friends.

Fast forward to June of that same year. Isabella randomly called me on a Saturday night using my friend’s phone, asking me to come out to Kent that night to party with them. I was quite surprised by the call since it was 12:30 a.m. I told her I had work at 5 a.m. and wasn’t going to come out that night, but that I’d go out to Kent with her the following weekend.

Fast forward to that next weekend, and I went out. We had a great time and instantly hit it off. So much so that the next day, Isabella asked what I was doing. I told her I was going to work out, and she asked if she could join me. I agreed, so she met me at Snap Fitness in Streetsboro, and we had our first “date,” which was us lifting weights and working out, lol.

I think it was in that moment that I knew this girl was special, not only because of how beautiful she was, but also because she was willing to push herself to do hard things, and I got to see that firsthand in the gym.

We continued talking, texting, calling, lifting, going out, and everything else that summer of 2021. By the end of the summer, I knew Isabella had to go back to school, and we’d have some challenges with her being 2.5 hours away in Columbus. We continued talking, but the first two months of her being in Columbus were difficult, and we even grew apart a little.

That was until Halloween of 2021, when all my friends and I went down to Ohio State to party for the whole weekend. Isabella and I spent that entire weekend together, and it really sealed the deal. I went home thinking, “I have to ask this girl out.”

When she came home for Thanksgiving break, that’s when I asked her to officially be my girlfriend.

After that, I spent most of my weekends driving back and forth between Columbus and home to see her. I’d even sleep in the library on weekends so she could study for her classes. When I wasn’t there, we’d FaceTime for hours on end while I worked every day, Monday through Friday.

Then the summer of 2022 finally rolled around, and we became even more committed to each other. Like clockwork, five to six days a week, we’d be at Snap Fitness in Aurora around 5 a.m. to work out. We spent nearly every day of that summer together.

When the school year rolled around again, we made the decision that the long-distance relationship wasn’t going to keep working. So, I took a sales job in Columbus, and we moved into our first place together. We learned a lot about each other by living together, and then, about six months later, we got a dog together, Kona!

Since then, we’ve continued building our life together, and Isabella has been one of my biggest supporters through it all. She encouraged me to pursue firefighting, pushing me to go after something I was passionate about and supporting me as I worked toward my goals. I’m grateful to have that in her.

We’ve also made some incredible memories along the way, including a backpacking trip through Zion National Park. Getting to explore such a beautiful place together, taking on new challenges, and spending that time away from everyday life made the trip unforgettable. Little did Isabella know, that trip would become even more special when I asked her to spend the rest of her life with me. Surrounded by the incredible scenery of Zion, I proposed to her on our 23 mile overnight backpacking trip at our campsite on top of a mountain!

From a random late-night phone call in June 2021 to working out together at 5 a.m., navigating long distance, learning how to live together, raising Kona, supporting each other’s goals, and eventually getting engaged in Zion, we’ve come a long way.

Now, here we are, getting ready to take the next step and become husband and wife. Looking back, it’s crazy to think that it all started with a phone call I almost didn’t answer and a workout that turned into our first date. I’m so thankful that life brought us together, and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for us. We can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter with all of you!

Coming soon...