We first crossed paths—without even realizing it—in 2016.

At the time, both of our dads were stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Alaska, in different battalion units. We lived just a street apart and rode the same school bus every morning. We even sat just a seat away from each other, playing Pokémon Go with the other military kids. But we had no idea.

Back then, we were living in two very different worlds. David was playing hockey, and Lauren was busy dancing and acting—so we never really noticed each other. In fact, we didn’t realize we had shared that daily bus ride until we talked about it years later.

Our moms—Amy Jo and Christina—deserve all the credit. They became close friends during our time in Alaska. Christina taught preschool on base and had Lauren’s little brother, Dominic, in her class. When Amy Jo faced a serious medical issue, Christina went out of her way to care for Dominic—giving him extra attention and making sure he stayed healthy. A few months later, when Christina needed support, Amy Jo was there for her in a way that was special to them both. That friendship lasted, even as the Army sent our families to new places.

Fast forward eight years: the Rotante's were reassigned to Alaska, and—coincidentally—David, now in the Army himself, received orders to Alaska too. That’s when our moms played matchmaker and encouraged us to finally meet.

A year later, in 2024, we went on our first date.

As it turned out, the timing couldn’t have been more full circle. Not only were we both back in Alaska, but David’s parents had also been reassigned there. In a surprising twist, both of our dads were now serving in senior command positions in the 11th Airborne Division—sharing an office, no less. It was as if our families had been brought back together for a reason.

After just two months together, we were off again—Lauren went abroad, and David went to various military trainings. With no contact while Lauren was in Japan and David was deep in a mountaineering course, David realized he absolutely had to propose.

On Lauren's midterm break trip back to Alaska, David brought Lauren to Flattop, one of the most beautiful mountains in the state, and proposed in front of our immediate families.

Even with all the moves and miles, we somehow managed to have the army brat version of a small-town love story. And now, we can’t wait to start the next chapter—together.