Where it all began… Debbie's dad, David, had suggested she try a dating site called Met@Chabad. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Really? A dating website her dad recommended? But she agreed, though certain that there was no way she'd meet her person there. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Andrew was feeling the pull to start the next chapter of his life but knew he could use a little guidance finding the right one. Each of them was assigned a matchmaker, and one day, a new profile showed up in Debbie’s inbox. It was Andrew. Against all her doubts, she looked at his profile—and said yes.

Andrew reached out to Debbie after getting her number from his matchmaker.

Within four weeks of their first phone date, Debbie flew to San Francisco where Andrew lived so they could meet in person. They both felt a growing spark.

Andrew flew to Seattle where they went to snowshoe on Mt. Rainier.

Debbie and Andrew spent a week camping in Yosemite, but this was no casual getaway. One morning, Andrew set the alarm for before 4 a.m., determined to hike to Clouds Rest—a 26-mile trek with a 6,000-foot climb. Step by step, they pushed each other to the 10,000-foot summit. Standing there, they knew they wanted to keep adventuring together. Later, back at camp, they split a whole pizza, laughing and realizing that love could look a lot like this—grueling, rewarding, and full of wild places (and pizza).

Andrew moved to Seattle so they could spend the summer together, filling their days with hikes, camping trips, and long floats down lazy rivers. By the time fall rolled around, it was clear to both of them—this was it. Their days were filled with laughter and adventure, and even in the quieter moments, they felt an undeniable certainty: they’d found the person for the rest of their lives.

Because honestly....where else would they get engaged?