“Steve and I both agree that we realized we were meant for each other when we decided to hike the North Country Trail together in the UP at Pictured Rocks. We decided to go back country backpacking, just the two of us, and neither one of us really knew what we were doing. We had previous experiences drive in camping, but nothing quite like this. Steve and I set out to hike the 42 miles in three days with no real plan ahead of us and we probably did just about everything wrong. We packed way too heavy with too heavy of a tent, didn’t pack a water filter so we were constantly asking hikers to pump us water, wore running shoes instead of hiking shoes, and didn’t buy actual backpacking backpacks. We were tired, sore/hurting, thirsty, hungry, full of bug bites, and sunburnt, and I think Steve and I both saw each other at our worsts during that trip. However, the sites were beautiful and we accomplished something together that at the time, we didn’t think we were going to survive. That trip taught us a lot about communicating, working together, problem solving, and encouraging/motivating one another, and we both learned a lot about one another during that trip (probably more than we wanted to). We both knew at that moment that if we survived that trip together, we really would spend the rest of our lives together.”
Chelsea & Stephen are simply meant for each other. And their story begins a long time ago. “We technically have known each other since kindergarten. We went to the same elementary, middle, and high school and have memories of hanging out together when we were younger but didn’t have much of a friendship in our teenage years. We ‘met’ each other again sophomore year in college when we were both home for Thanksgiving break. We were out at a bar back in our hometown with friends when Steve made up some excuse to ask one of my friends for my number. We didn’t actually end up hanging out again until a few months after that! We have been together for almost seven years now!”
So after being together for many years (and surviving the North Country Trail together), it was only a matter of time before Stephen would pop the question. “Steve’s family has a cottage in Charlevoix that we spend a lot of time at throughout the summer and go skiing up at Boyne in the winter. They have a large property with wood,s and there is an area that they nicknamed ‘The Church’ where all of the pine trees were planted in long rows and are very tall with a walkway down the center. We walk this pathway every time we are up there, and it’s one of our favorite spots to let our dog run around at. Steve told me that his dad wanted us to go up for a weekend to check on his boat launch and to go see some of the colored trees during the fall since he knows fall up there is my favorite time of the year. We got up to his cottage and it was pouring rain, but he still insisted on taking our usual walk through ‘The Church’. He proposed in the middle of the woods there, and it was the perfect spot, even with all of the rain.”
Congratulations, Chelsea & Stephen!
