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BRANDON AND HIS BUDDY ANDY PAID A BACKCOUNTRY GUIDE WAY TOO MUCH MONEY TO TAKE THEM UP TO SKI CHICKEN SCRATCH ON TETON PASS.

IN THE #INTRODUCE-YOURSELF SLACK CHANNEL WHERE INCOMING WHARTON STUDENTS WERE GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED, LIZA POSTED THAT SHE WAS A SKIER FROM JACKSON HOLE.

BRANDON SAW THE POST, TEXTED ANDY, AND SAID, "I'M GOING TO BEFRIEND THIS GIRL AND GET US A FREE BACKCOUNTRY GUIDE."

BRANDON HAD TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF ALL OVER AGAIN. WE RAN INTO EACH OTHER AT A PARTY A FEW MONTHS LATER, AND LIZA HAD NO IDEA BRANDON WAS THE SAME GUY FROM SLACK. SHE DIDN'T CONNECT THE DOTS UNTIL MONTHS INTO THEIR RELATIONSHIP.

BRANDON PLANNED A MONTH-LONG SKI TRIP FOR A GROUP OF CLASSMATES. LIZA WAS SET TO JOIN A DIFFERENT CREW IN ASPEN, BUT THEN EVERYONE IN HER GROUP GOT COVID. SHE REROUTED LAST-MINUTE TO MEET A FRIEND TANGLED UP IN BRANDON'S ITINERARY.

ON A POWDER DAY AT A-BASIN, A SMALL GROUP OF US BROKE OFF TO SKI. WE HOT LAPPED THE MOUNTAIN UNTIL EVERYONE'S LEGS GAVE OUT, EXCEPT FOR BRANDON'S. HE JUST KEPT GOING.

"Who is this guy?" Liza remembers thinking.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME HE REGISTERED ON HER RADAR. WE WERE SOLID ACQUAINTANCES AFTER THAT.

BRANDON AND OUR FRIEND IKRAM CAME OUT TO JACKSON HOLE TO STAY WITH LIZA AND WORK ON THEIR RESPECTIVE STARTUPS. SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE WORK SESSIONS, HIKES, BIKE RIDES, AND LONG SUMMER EVENINGS, WE BECAME REAL FRIENDS. BRANDON LEFT FOR HIS INTERNSHIP IN NASHVILLE, BUT WE KEPT IN TOUCH.

LIZA WENT AS CRUELLA DE VIL, BRANDON AS A COWBOY, MAKING GOOD USE OF THE COWBOY HAT HE'D PICKED UP IN JACKSON THAT SUMMER.

WE MET UP FOR A DRINK, GOT READY AT LIZA'S, AND HEADED TO THE PARTY TOGETHER. THEN SPENT THE WHOLE NIGHT TALKING TO NO ONE ELSE. WE SNUCK INTO THE AFTER-PARTY THROUGH A BACK DOOR BECAUSE LIZA WASN'T ON THE LIST, LAUGHING THE WHOLE WAY IN.

IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE JUST FRIENDS ANYMORE.

LIZA TOOK BRANDON ON A WEEK-LONG MEXICO KITEBOARDING TRIP WITH HER DAD FOR SPRING BREAK. THEN CAME GRADUATION, MOVING OUT OF PHILADELPHIA, AND A MONTH OF TRAVELING THROUGH JACKSON, BÅSTAD, SICILY, THE SOUTH OF FRANCE, PARIS, AND STOCKHOLM FOR MICHELLE'S WEDDING.

REAL LIFE SET IN. BRANDON MOVED TO NASHVILLE FOR WORK, AND LIZA WAS STILL IN JACKSON, WHERE SHE COULDN'T GIVE UP THE LIFE SHE LOVED FOR NASHVILLE. WE ALWAYS KNEW WHERE WE WANTED TO END UP, BUT BRANDON NEEDED TO PUT IN A FEW YEARS IN NASHVILLE BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY.

SO FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, WE BOUNCED BETWEEN NASHVILLE AND JACKSON. THERE WERE PLENTY OF GOOD MOMENTS, BUT IT WAS HARD TO ALWAYS BE SAYING GOODBYE. FOR A LONG STRETCH, OUR RELATIONSHIP WAS BUILT ACROSS DIFFERENT CITIES AND TIME ZONES, WITH A LOT OF OUR LIFE TOGETHER HAPPENING OVER THE PHONE.

BRANDON WAS IN A MEETING, CHECKING INSTAGRAM ON A BREAK, WHEN HE SAW THAT LIZA'S DREAM LABRADOODLE BREEDER WAS RETIRING.

SOMEONE BACKED OUT ON A PUPPY GIRL FROM THE VERY LAST LITTER. LIZA IMMEDIATELY PUT IN AN APPLICATION AS A LONG SHOT. SOMEHOW, WE WERE CHOSEN TO BE HER PARENTS.

IT FELT A LITTLE CRAZY TO GET A DOG, BUT ALLY, LIZA'S ROOMMATE, TALKED US INTO IT. THE BEGINNING WAS HARD, BUT UNI HAS BEEN ONE OF THE GREATEST JOYS OF OUR LIFE EVER SINCE.

FRIDAY MORNING LIZA PICKED BRANDON UP FROM THE AIRPORT AND WE WENT STRAIGHT TO PHILLIPS CANYON TO SKI THE 18 INCHES OF FRESH SNOW THAT HAD FALLEN OVERNIGHT! IT WAS THE FIRST BLUEBIRD DAY OF THE SEASON, AND THE SNOWMOBILE TRAIL TO THE SKI ZONE WAS MIRACULOUSLY BROKEN IN. ONLY OUR FRIENDS OUT THERE, AND NO ONE HAD SKIED A RUN YET.

ON THE WAY UP OUR FIRST RUN, BRANDON PULLED OVER, CUT THE ENGINE, AND GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE. AT THE TOP, OUR FRIENDS WERE HIDING IN THE TREES WITH CHAMPAGNE AND CELEBRATORY HUGS. WE HAD FIRST TRACKS INTO OUR FAVORITE RUN AND THEN CELEBRATED WITH OUR FRIENDS.

The stars aligned for this perfect day.

AFTER YEARS OF WAITING AND DOING DISTANCE, WE FINALLY MOVED TO SAN FRANCISCO!

THE PLACE WE HAD TALKED ABOUT FOR YEARS WAS FINALLY HOME. SATURDAYS SURFING IN SANTA CRUZ. SUNDAYS FORAGING FOR MUSHROOMS UP IN MARIN. BUILDING A LIFE THAT FELT LIKE A COLLECTION OF ALL THE PLACES, ADVENTURES, AND DREAMS WE'D BEEN TALKING ABOUT SINCE WE MET.

IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET HERE. THERE WERE SKI TRIPS, A HALLOWEEN PARTY, A MONTH OF QUARANTINE, LONG DISTANCE YEARS, A VERY GOOD DOG, AND AN EVER-GROWING COLLECTION OF OUTDOOR GEAR.

AFTER A MOUNTAIN BIKE, TWO SNOWMOBILES, MULTIPLE SURFBOARDS, AND ALL THE ACCESSORIES, BRANDON DID NOT SAVE ANY MONEY ON FREE BACKCOUNTRY GUIDING.

BUT NOW, WE'RE GETTING MARRIED ON THE BEACH IN PUNTA MITA, SURROUNDED BY THE WAVES, THE WIND, AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS STORY ALONG THE WAY.

WE'RE SO HAPPY YOU'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE WITH US!!!