Picture it: July 2020, a typical sweltering Houston summer. Amanda is a first-year ICU fellow, spending her one day off in a 80-hour work week sitting alone in the air conditioning, idly scrolling Match.com. She notices Ken's profile — short and sweet, with the memorable tagline that he was looking for someone who could keep up. In the fog of post-call exhaustion, this amuses her. She decides to take it as a dare.

Ken, equally amused by Amanda's jam-packed profile, suggests they meet for lunch at The Hobbit Cafe. Under the watchful eyes of Gandalf — a cardboard cutout, but Gandalf nonetheless — the beginning of their own epic story began.

With the world still largely shut down due to COVID-19, their early dates had to be creative. They talked for hours on long weekend drives outside the city, stopping for tailgate picnics along the way. They sought out hidden gems wherever they could find them — little-known historic sites in tiny towns, rural garden centers full of blooming roses — and worked endless puzzles, a pastime courtesy of Ken's particular affliction. When Ken surprised her with a weekend trip to Round Top, Amanda fell in love with the place. They fell in love with each other not long after.

The next few years were a blur of work, moves, and cheerfully supporting each other's hobbies and passions. Ken kept Amanda well-fed with taco meat; she made sure Ken was never without sourdough bread. They made plans, dreamed about the future, and got engaged in May 2023.

In the three and a half years since, they've chipped away at the big ones: Amanda finished her medical training, Ken launched two more businesses, and they bought a piece of land large enough to hold all their plans. They are so excited to finally be getting married in October 2026 — and to spend the rest of their lives trying to keep up with each other.

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