About 5.5 years ago, we had our first date while living in Philadelphia. Ellie was a few minutes late, rushing to get there from a full day of classes. Myles, prompt as ever, noticed her tardiness but waited patiently. The second date was a 7-mile run along the Schuylkill trail (Ellie's idea). Myles hadn't run in several months but didn't complain. The third date was a movie, proposed by Myles. The Irishman had just come out and Myles was anxious to see it. Little did he know, Ellie does not enjoy going to the movies, and, ironically, the Irishman is one of the longest mainstream movies ever made, clocking in at 3 hours 29 minutes. Nevertheless, we were determined to get to know each other, and by the time March 2020 rolled around, we were committed enough to endure COVID together.

Ellie told Myles very early on that she did not plan to stay in Philadelphia long term. In fact, she would be moving as soon as her master's program was done, and luckily, Myles was open to it. We began training together for triathlon, a mutual interest that blossomed with our relationship. We started rock climbing, snowboarding, camping, and lots and lots of swim/bike/running (though, less swimming on Myles's end).

In June 2021 we moved to Salt Lake City and started building a life together with Myles' two dogs, Nala and Sela. We had lots of adventures, learned new skills, did more racing, met new friends, said a very hard goodbye to our sweet Nala and welcomed Penny into our family.

In the fall of 2023, Myles decided to make it official, and proposed to Ellie on top of a mountain on a beautiful October day, almost exactly 4 years after we met. We have since made our way to the Bay Area in CA, and are looking forward to the adventures to come. Through it all, we have looked to one another for guidance and reassurance, and our commitment to and confidence in each other has only grown. We share an intense competitive nature, love of the outdoors, physical activity, games, and our dogs. We feel so lucky to be growing this life together amongst our amazing community of family and friends!