How two people come together in a world full of adversity is a mystery to me. All I know is that we found each other through a tangled web of events that began a few years ago.
It all began on an adventure trip in Moab, Utah. I was with a small group of friends, one who mutually knew Braden, and he was with a group of friends (girls mainly.. although he swears there were boys there too.) I first noticed his dark hair and big jeep when he made it nearly impossible for me, or anyone else, not to. Hot doggin' in his jeep with a new girl in the front seat everyday made him stand out to most of the females in our group, although not in the best way. The trip came and went and we exchanged names. Later we became friends on Facebook and followed each other on Instagram, but that was the extent of our relationship. Every now and then I would see a picture in my feed about him traveling to China one week and Costa Rica the next, thinking to myself that he was just an arrogant playboy.
Years passed and another Moab trip approached at the start of the summer. It's called the MMT-Massive Moab Trip. Hundreds of adventurous people go to engage in every outdoor activity imaginable with people who share similar interests. Every year people into jeeping attend, and naturally Braden would be there. I hadn't thought of him in what felt like ages until I stumbled across his payment on Venmo. (Venmo is a money transferring app that connects you to your friends on Facebook. It's great for paying a few dollars here and there to contribute to bills, pizza, gas, or to pitch in for any group expense. You can also see a feed of your friend's payments and like them or comment on them.) Because Braden and I were Facebook friends, I could see his payments. As I was creepily scrolling through the payments after paying my portion of the utilities bill, I saw he paid his fee for the MMT and I liked it. The next thing I know I got a Facebook message from Braden with some cheesy comment alluding to the idea that he didn't know he was going to get to talk to a cute girl today. Blah, blah.. It was crap to me at the time.
He invited me to the MMT with him and his friends. I accepted. Of course with the condition that I could take two of my best friends.
On the third day we jeeped to the top of a mountain late at night to see the stars in a caravan of vehicles. Everyone in the group admired the stars for a while and when it was time to leave, we all went back to the jeeps. I was the copilot in Braden's jeep. As I sat in the passenger seat, he began to flirt, and I mean hard. He was intense and I knew where it was going. I let him lean in and I even leaned in a bit. I let him go further. I stayed put. He went further and when I could almost feel his breath I asked in my sassy tone, "What are you doing? You haven't even taken me on a date yet!!"
Dumbfounded and slightly uncomfortable, he looked at me and smiled an awkward smile. He pulled away and put his jeep into gear and proceeded down the trail. A few minutes later I realized what I had done and timidly asked, "Are you mad?"
"Not at all," he said.
I was so relieved. I can't remember who made the first move next but I knew we were holding hands and we held hands every second we could from that moment on. While the caravan was taking forever, and I mean forever, Braden and I were dying of hunger. We ditched the group, took off and headed to Denny's. Thus began our first date. Eating hashbrowns and eggs at 3 a.m. has never been so fun. We talked and laughed until we couldn't keep our eyes open a minute longer.
After the Massive Moab Trip ended we both returned to our homes. PLOT TWIST! I lived in Logan and he lived in Spanish Fork. That's a 2.5 hour drive from one place to the other. So that was fun... NOT! Braden came up two to three times a week for the next few months until I graduated from college and moved back down to Salt Lake City. He saved my life that summer. I lived with 9 girls and my room was over 100 degrees with a major Box Elder Bug infestation. Braden provided me with an air conditioner and vacuum that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford. He helped me find the perfect car within my budget instead of my 1995 Tahoe with no a/c that got 10 mpg and took a pint of oil every hundred miles. He helped me push through my last semester of college taking 24 credits and he kept me sane while waking up at 4 a.m. for work.
Braden is a blessing to me. He is my adventure partner and my emotional support. He helps me practice patience and solve problems in every aspect of my life. We have been blessed with opportunities to travel together and explore new things. I even conquered my worst fear with him by my side. My biggest fear is heights and a few months ago I rappelled myself off the edge of a 120 foot cliff with him easing me through it.
All in all, Braden is my best friend. He's my companion and my confidant. He's the biggest gentleman I know and I never doubt his ability to get through a situation or protect me. He's burly and manly yet he's sensitive and sweet. He's kind and selfless to everyone he meets and he's one of the hardest workers I know. He supports my dreams and helps me make them realities. I am whimsical, he is logical. I am emotional, he is reasonable. I am the dreamer and he's the achiever. I am his and he is mine.
We are opposites that fit perfectly together.
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