Tim and Amanda's Story

Tim and Amanda met online while they were both living in Washington, DC, after college. Their first date was the evening before Amanda left to interview for medical school at Washington University in St. Louis. Tim thought applying to medical school sounded like a lot of work.

There were early signs that they were right for each other. Tim, knowing that Amanda was a computer engineer, introduced himself by sending Amanda a Perl script, a computer program that, when executed, revealed an introductory message. Amanda, in turn, was touched that her four-month-old kitten, Tesla, curled up on Tim's stomach and promptly fell asleep. If her kittens loved him, he must be a good guy!

In the Spring, Amanda decided that she would attend Washington University. Soon after learning of this decision, Tim called Amanda and asked her to meet him for dinner so they could talk. Amanda was worried that this meant bad news, but her concerns were allayed when he took her to the same restaurant where they had their first date. He told her that he had decided to follow her to St. Louis, although he hadn't yet figured out what he would do there. Luckily, a new think tank was being started in St. Louis that summer, and Tim was able to be its second employee.

In St. Louis

They spent three happy years together in St. Louis. Amanda kept busy in medical school, taking classes her first two years and spending her third year in the hospital seeing patients and learning clinical skills. She made many new friends and learned a lot about the practice of medicine. Meanwhile, Tim helped get the new think tank off the ground, and then worked as a freelance writer.

They took advantage of the many opportunities they found in the St. Louis area. They went on many road trips in the area around St. Louis, visiting Little Rock, Nashville, Memphis, Louisville, Madison, Terre Haute (IN), Columbus, Oxford (OH), and Kansas City. They visited countless parks, wineries, and historic Missouri towns. And they enjoyed the varied and affordable dining options St. Louis has to offer.

Amanda became a fan of the relaxed St. Louis lifestyle. She loved starting her Saturday mornings at the Tower Grove Farmers Market down the street from her house, where she could enjoy fresh produce, homemade scones, free yoga classes, and babies playing in the fountain. Tim moved to St. Louis's Central West End neighborhood after his first year and enjoyed the convenience of living in a vibrant urban area, directly above a delicious Vietnamese restaurant.

Engagement

Every year, the Rohn family goes to Lake Hope in Southeast Ohio for relaxation and family bonding. Tim accompanied Amanda to Lake Hope in 2007. Throughout the weekend, Amanda noticed that Tim kept wandering off by himself in the same direction. On the final morning of the trip, Sunday, October 21, Tim, Amanda, and Amanda's father got up for an early morning hike. They hoped to see beavers at work before they retreated to their lodges for the day. It was cold and rainy, but they were rewarded for their patience with several beaver sightings.

The rest of the family was still alseep when the three returned to the family cabin. Tim grabbed Amanda's hand and took her on a walk in the same direction Amanda had seen him wandering in earlier. He took her to a bench with a spectacular view overlooking Lake Hope. They sat down on the bench, and after chatting for a few minutes, Tim asked Amanda to marry him. She said yes! The couple rushed back to the cabin to tell Amanda's family the good news.

The Future

In September, Tim moved to Princeton, NJ to begin studying for a PhD in computer science. Fortunately, Amanda was able to spend November in Philadelphia and December in Princeton. And they visited each other several times during the Spring. Nevertheless, they don't like being apart and are looking forward to being together forever after May 23.

Amanda will graduate from medical school on May 15. She will then move to Philadelphia, where she will be a resident at the University of Pennsylvania. The couple will live in a charming apartment in South Philadelphia's Passyunk Square neighborhood. Her residency and Tim's PhD program will both finish around 2013.

Every year since they've been together, Tim and Amanda have treked to the countryside to cut down a Christmas tree. Click here to see them with their various Christmas trees. This is a tradition they hope to continue for many years to come.