How We Met: Our Love Story and First Moments

Our relationship began in a modern, 21st-century way — when Bryan slid into my Instagram DMs.

But to rewind a bit: I first heard about Bryan from my mom. She mentioned he was the son of a close friend, had a strong faith, ran track and cross country at UVA, raced professionally as a cyclist, and enjoyed cooking. It was an intriguing mix. She also told me he was five years older and lived in Virginia, so I figured meeting him was unlikely.

After hearing about him a few times, I looked him up on Instagram and discovered he was already following me. I assumed someone (hi, Bryan’s mom) must’ve mentioned me to him. I followed him back and that was that — at least for a little while.

A few weeks later Bryan sent a witty message asking about hanging out in Raleigh while he was in town. We met briefly — definitely not a date — and he messaged again on a later visit, but we didn’t manage to get together then either.

I still saw his posts about bike races and cooking, and a few months later I reached out to see if he wanted to hang out over Thanksgiving break. For our first real outing he planned a morning of rock climbing and even brought homemade kombucha.

My first impressions: he was thoughtful, cute, made kombucha, and knew how to plan a fun outing. Also, he shaved his legs and wore cycling spandex — things I found amusing at the time.

A few days later we went for a jog and talked so much we ran 10 miles. I didn’t know then that Bryan was easing back into running after an injury and had only planned to run three miles that day. We both wondered how a relationship would work with 3.5 hours between us, but after a strong third date we started talking every day.

A few weeks later Bryan came to visit Winston-Salem and ended up staying longer than planned. We slept a total of 12 hours across three nights and spent the rest of the time talking. We connected deeply over faith, being active, hospitality, caring for others, traveling, running, coffee, and good food.

A week later we made it official and spent the next year and a half driving between Winston-Salem, NC and Charlottesville, VA. Now Bryan is my favorite travel companion, the calm in a crisis, my running buddy, the fix-it person for everything, the executor of all my plans, a spreadsheet whiz, and my best friend.

In 2017 my parents moved to Raleigh, and my mom shifted her focus from my sister’s dating life to mine. From then on she frequently mentioned girls she thought I’d like. I usually joked about it and asked why she hadn’t actually set anything up.

When my mom realized her friend’s daughter Olivia shared interests in cooking, running, and faith, the matchmaking began. While visiting my parents and grandparents in Raleigh, I sent Olivia a brief DM asking if she wanted ice cream. She said she was leaving town the next morning and couldn’t make it. Missed opportunity number one.

Our moms were persistent, and through a chain of events our families ended up meeting for ice cream. Both dads handled the conversation over cones, and on the car ride home both moms asked what we thought of each other. We both responded the same way: “I’m not sure, but his/her dad sure seemed nice.”

The ice cream outing didn’t spark much at the time, but we did exchange Instagram messages later.

Then, out of the blue during Thanksgiving, Olivia asked if I still wanted to hang out and promised not to bring the parents. I was always up for an adventure when I was in town, so I said yes.

We spent a day rock climbing and later went for a long run in Umstead State Park. From that point on, things took off.

Since that first climb, being with Olivia has been a daily joy. From spontaneous trips to visit my grandma and chances to show off California, to her teaching me how to improve my food photos on Instagram and sharing quiet coffee dates — we’ve made countless memories. We’ve also had more adventurous moments, like when a “nature walk” turns into a steep hike or when I introduce her to my downhill sports that involve trees and speed.

Olivia is always game for whatever I suggest. Her adventurous spirit is matched by her beauty, devotion to Jesus and others, talent for hosting and serving, dance moves (I’m still waiting for her to let me lead), kitchen skills, and an impressively reliable memory. I can’t wait for the many adventures ahead.