Samantha & Steven

August 06, 2020

The year was 2020. Sam and Steve met the old fashioned way (and nearly the only way
that fateful year), on Tinder.

August 17, 2020

Their first couple of dates looked something like this, from Sam's end anyway.

October 2020

Over the convening months to years Sam & Steve shared many experiences both tried and new.

April 2021

They spent a lot of time outside exploring the National Arboretum and hiking in many Virginia State Parks.

April 2021

They made their way to Shenandoah National Park, sparking their desire to see more of the natural beauty of the US.

August 2021

They spent their first anniversary enjoying some casual pizza at the end of a week long trip exploring three of the national parks in Alaska with Sam's best friend Jordyn and her boyfriend (also named Steve).

February 2022

In February, Steve bought a house.
Sam and Moony moved in slowly over the
next couple of months.

August 2022

They spent two weeks exploring Utah's Mighty 5. Five national parks spanning southern Utah from Zion National Park in the southwest corner, across to Arches National park on the Colorado border.
It was on this trip that Sam learned that she is was not made for the desert, even though it was beautiful.

October 2022

On Halloween, Steve finally caved in to Sam's insistence that they needed a second cat to fill the second of two matching chairs in their living room and they brought home Númenor.

January 2023

Instagram exposed them to the concept of "The Switzerland of America," a title which at least two very different places claim as their own. They found this concept very funny and decided to visit the closest one in the Poconos, the town of Jim Thorpe.

September 2023

Their first journey abroad together took them to Germany. They explored Berlin, tasting every vegan street food they could get their hands on.
And moved on to Bamberg and Munich where they made it to Oktoberfest! Prost!

March 2024

The following spring took them to Will and Kate's wedding in Arizona. And you better believe they took that opportunity to check off a few more national parks from their list.

August 2024

A long weekend trip to welcome baby Balisi
brought them their first time in Chicago and
Indiana Dunes on Lake Michigan.

September 2024

All of their big trips seem to take place in the fall. 2024 brought them to Wyoming, the home of Yellowstone (Jellystone, iykyk) and Grand Teton National Parks.

February 2025

Nearing the end of a mild winter, Sam and Steve
went for a snowy getaway to the Adirondacks.
They arrived at their cabin and within five minutes
of arriving at their cabin, Steve proposed!

August 2025

During Rhodes family trip to Seattle, they took a quick foray to Olympic National Park. Sam tells anyone who asks about the trip that she knows trees can be that big, but she didn't know know until she saw them.

September 2025

A long discussed an awaited trip to Switzerland
brought them high up in the Alps where they
enjoyed hiking with incredible views and even went
snow tubing at over 11,000 ft above sea level!