Back in 2021, while Liz was doing a visiting med school rotation in Austin, a fellow co-resident took Liz on a tour of the beautiful Shoal Creek Hospital (RIP), where she briefly met Bryan. This fellow co-resident (Bryan’s best man, Shaan) introduced Liz and Bryan, saying, “See, Bryan's a dad and he still makes it work in residency!”

Fast forward two years after Liz matched into the psych program at UT Austin, and she eventually learned that Bryan was single (and was surprised given how much of a catch he is). A month later, she got a text from Bryan asking to go rock climbing with some of their friends. Liz remembered thinking, “I am not much of a climber, but Bryan is single and cute, so why not?” During this hangout, their friends began to trickle off, and all that were left were Liz and Bryan. On their way out, Bryan invited Liz to grab a drink at a brewery that was conveniently attached to the climbing gym. Liz teases Bryan that this drink felt like a residency interview. However, soon after Bryan asked Liz out on an actual date, where they again went climbing, but this time, went out for a proper drink on a proper date. There, Liz remembered a random stranger teasing Bryan's drink choice and admired his ability to laugh at himself. Soon after that, the following dates felt seamless and natural. Not only was Bryan witty and playful, but he was also genuine and kind. Fast forward 6 months, when Liz was lucky enough to meet Jameson, Bryan’s son, she got to see what an incredible father Bryan was. From there, their connection only grew stronger, and Liz knew he was the one!

I remember the first time I met Liz. It was on the 6th floor of the psych hospital in the resident lounge. She was a visiting 4th-year medical student, and I was an intern, probably wearing my white coat. I was immediately drawn to her. I was jealous that my best friend, Shaan, was getting to show her around and answering her questions. I wished it were me. The best I could do was hope that I would see her again and she would match at our program.

Luckily for me, she did. However, it wasn’t until early 2023 that we found ourselves at the right place and time. I found out through the grapevine that she was single. We hadn’t worked together, and I didn’t really know her well, so I asked her on a low-stakes outing with other friends. She said that she couldn’t because she needed to study for a big test. I patiently waited another month until after her test, all the while sending her study materials and words of encouragement. Finally, in March, she said yes to my invitation, and we went to the climbing gym with a couple of our co-residents. It was a lot of fun, and I was impressed with Liz’s adventurousness. Our friends happened to leave after climbing, which opened the door for me to ask her out for a drink alone. We got to know each other better over drinks, and I asked her when I would get to see her again. For our second date, we went climbing again, but ended up at one of her favorite breweries, where we spent hours talking and laughing. It wasn’t until the third date that I really sealed the deal. I took her hiking at a state park, where we took photos together in the bluebonnets. We spent the rest of the day and late into the evening together. I walked her to her car and finally kissed her goodnight. The rest is history, as they say.

We continued to date and go on adventures, and eventually professed our love for each other. But truthfully, I was only sharing half of my world with her. It wasn’t until August that Liz met my son Jameson for the first time. She embraced him fully and developed a loving and nurturing relationship with him. Seeing that relationship blossom is what gave me confidence that Liz was the woman I wanted to marry.