Love in the BOI

LOVE IN THE BOI: Kelsey & Kyle

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Imagine your first date is stargazing out in the hills, but you then get stopped by cops becaue you went off-roading for the best views! Meet Kelsey & Kyle, and here is their #LoveInTheBOI story




How did you two meet?

We met while I was dispatching for the BLM in my hometown in Nevada and he was down in the area as a firefighting (so I was essentially dispatching him). His captain brought their crew in to “tour” dispatch and get eyes on the new seasonal dispatcher.




Describe Your First Date

Our first date was stargazing out in the hills. We had weird work schedules and only really got to see each other at night for a while. Definitely got stopped by the cops while we were off-roading to the best view (FUN FACT: we also got stopped by the cops on our second and third dates).

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What are you favorite local things to do & places to go?

We like going to local breweries like Sockeye and Barbarian, riding bikes on the Greenbelt, exploring local restaurants (Big City and Barbacoa are faves!), going to concerts, enjoying the hiking and camping close to the valley, playing pool at Q’s and The Pocket, and whatever other local shenanigans come our way!



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What is one word of advice you have to those who are still in search of love? 

Find your best friend, don’t go in to a relationship wanting to change the other person, challenge and encourage each other daily to be your best self.

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LOVE IN THE BOI: Ellis and Jackie

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What happens when you look past a bad first impression? Marrying your best friend & finding #LoveInTheBOI. Meet Ellis and Jackie, and this is their love story


How did you two meet?

We met in college at an on campus, food services position in Indiana (at the other BSU). Oh lord, first impressions were definitely NOT a thing. This boy came in singing at the top of his lungs. All I could think was, “I can’t work with this guy for two hours...” 🤦🏻‍♀️

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But there’s more…

Haha Well, when I got into school I wasn’t much of a social butterfly around people I didn’t really know. I kind of made up my mind that I was never going to date someone in a fraternity because all you hear about frat guys and NEVER date someone younger than me. “All” guys are less mature when they’re younger. Well, that mostly worked with all the guys I dated prior.

Then, one day I was working a shift at the atrium and I was waiting for the new person to come in. I had seen his name on the sheet for my shift, but had NO idea who he was. At this point I had worked there for a couple years and really didn’t have the patience for newbies. When it was time for him to come in he came in singing at the top of his lungs who knows what’s wrong.

All I remember thinking was, oh my goodness why?! At this time I actually had a boyfriend so I wasn’t even thinking about guys in that way. So, time goes by, we just really ever saw each other at work. Sometimes a couple of my other girlfriends and I would ask him if he wanted to go to the bars and what not… Which he couldn’t because he was only 19.

Eventually my boyfriend at the time and I broke up. I was giving Ellis advice on girls at work and he would do the same for me and ask all kinds of questions. About eight months later, after realizing that this frat boy wasn’t like the stories and I could be ‘me’ around him, I finally gave him my number. It took him two weeks to text me!! Come to find out, like this year, he had actually messaged me a couple months prior asking if I wanted to go to coffee. I kind of blew him off… By kind of I mean I actually really did blow him off. I basically told him that I had homework and I’d have to let him know! Eventually it was time for Christmas Break, so we both went our own ways, in which I thought very little of. When we got back we had to have a training session for our job and he actually saved me a seat. I kind of gave my girlfriends what the heck look and sat behind him instead! Months later, four to be exact, after working together, we both finally realized we want to hang out and get to know each other.  

He invited me over to have popcorn and watch a movie… But that’s totally not what happened. He called me as I was on my way to his house and let me know that his fraternity was having a party at his house for a big and little sis. At the time, I had NO clue what it was. Essentially, one of his frat brothers gets completely wasted and “gains a little sister”. when I finally got there I had to carry this brother up the stairs to the house because he couldn’t walk anymore. That was just the start to this crazy night! I get in there and Ellis kind of pulls me to the side and says by the way, there is a girl that may have an issue with you being here. I was a little caught off guard because I didn’t know about any other girls. Come to find out this girl and he had texted off and on, but she never really committed to seeing him. So he just kinda let it go. I was pretty uncomfortable at the party already, but now there was this random girl.

Towards the middle of the party he comes up to me and says just so you know, the girl is here, and she wants to go outside and talk. If you want you can go into my room and hang out there until I get back. This… Is when you are supposed to run! In the back of my head I thought all I have to do is leave and then I never have to see him again. But I didn’t. I went to his room found a WARM Keystone tall boy...(ew!) and chugged it to take the edge off. While I waited a few of his frat brothers came in and introduce themselves and made me feel welcomed until Ellis came back. Turns out, the girl was pretty upset that he was there with me and yelled at him for 45 minutes! Ellis came back into his room with the saddest most defeated face. He walked in and apologized. And when you thought it was over, it wasn’t! The girls “big sis” came in as continued yelling at him. SMH! Finally, when it was over, he close the door so I donis bed and looked at me in the eyes. He asked me, “so will you be my girlfriend?” 😳

I told him that we should probably let everything simmer down for a bit… Proceeded to do “chubby bunny” which essentially is squishing my face and asking the bus driver to open the door. I got a chuckle out of them and then we ended up staying together that night out of pure wanting to be around each other. The next day we finally decided that we would date and made it official. However I never did say yes!

Not until he asked me to marry him about a year and a half later…


Describe Your First Date.

Oh dear… Technically we didn’t have a first date right away and we can’t agree on what our first date actually was! Let’s be honest, it’s been a minute. We hung out with friends and at work most of the time. He thinks our first date was one night where we played one on one basketball, but he was late. The gym ended up closing 10 minutes after he finally got there! Afterwards, we ended up talking until 4:30 in the morning. In fact, I was 2 1/2 hours late to my job the next day because I slept through my alarms!

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Now, I would say that our first date actually occurred when I came out to Idaho to spend a month with him and his family. We were on our way to Cortolane and stopped at a Mexican restaurant. Worst. Food. Ever! Now that didn’t matter though… We had a blast in the car jamming out to music and talking on our way! We ended up camping and then making the drive back the next day. Fast forward about two years and we would be doing the same thing at Lake Cascade, only this time he asked me to spend the rest of our lives’ adventures together.



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What are you favorite local things to do & places to go?

We LOVE riding from Ann Morrison into downtown (no matter the weather), checking out Brew Pubs, and hitting the hill for some skiing, boarding, hiking, or mountain biking!




What is one word of advice you have to those who are still in search of love?

Persevere.


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Thanks to kickboxing, I’ve personally met Jackie and Ellis. Jackie is kicking butt (literally) in class, and sometimes I see Ellis join her. Head over to @jackie_pintar & follow her.

Thank you Jackie & Ellis for sharing your #LoveInTheBOI story!






LOVE IN THE BOI: Joel & Samantha



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Meet Joel and Samantha.

Treefort Music Fest connected these two. From a Facebook add to a first date, Treefort is the backdrop to Joel & Samantha’s #LoveInTheBOI story.







How did you two meet?

I had just moved to town and was a music journalist looking to make music scene connections in Boise. As such, I was told I should add all of the Facebook friends of some of the Treefort organizers to gain connections! One of them happened to be Joel.





Three days before we started talking, my best friend passed away and my long distance boyfriend of two years dumped me via email (same day). I was heartbroken and needed someone but was new to the city and wasn't sure who I could actually talk to and trust. That's when Joel appeared in my life in a completely random way.

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Although, I honestly believe the universe gave me this amazing friendship and relationship to help me heal in the most beautiful way possible. He asked if he knew me so I told him my name and he told me his via Facebook messenger and then I said, "There, now you know me." After that, we chatted for a while and I told him to send me a picture of him looking 'hot'. That's when he sent me the photo of him doing a duckface into the camera. I turned to my dad at that very moment and said, "I swear to you, I'm going to marry this guy." Six years later, and we just celebrated our one year wedding anniversary.






Describe Your FIrst Date

It took about a year for us to realize we really needed to stop kidding ourselves and get together. That's why, for our first date, we covered Treefort together as a team representing our successful local music magazine, Boise Pulse. It was a whirlwind of chaos and silliness but, the whole time, we went from being friends to truly falling in love with each other. By the end of it, there was no denying that we actually needed to date and not just be best friends any more!



What are you favorite local things to do & places to go?

We have a few favorite things to do: We LOVE going to the Spacebar and Grinker's because they both also let us show our nerdy sides! We also quite often get the Groupon to Asiago's in downtown when we have a birthday or anniversary. It's kind of our little date spot for sure. On top of that, we love to see live shows in downtown, especially for local bands, and we also hike all over from Camel's Back to Jumpcreek Falls to Seaman's Gulch, and everything and anything in between! We truly enjoy where we live because it allows us to have all of our hobbies and interests available at once!

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What is one word of advice you have to those who are still in search of love

Hopefully this doesn't come out as corny but, really, love isn't something that happens overnight and, at least in my case, what started as a beautiful and long-lasting friendship led to a relationship that truly feels like I get to spend every single day with the coolest person on the planet! With that being said, my word of advice is truly to stop looking for the 'perfect' boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife and just let fate run its course. You never know— the person you call your best friend could very well become the love of your life!




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Make sure to follow these two love birds at @twolosersjourney. Thank you Joel & Samantha for sharing your #LoveInTheBOI story!

LOVE IN THE BOI: Alyssa & Patrick

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Dating: Check

Love in the BOI feature: check

Engagement: Check

Love in the BOI update: Check, check!



Meet Alyssa and Patrick. Here’s their #LoveInTheBOI story:



How did you two meet?

We met at Dirty Little Roddy's on St. Patrick's Day 2017.





Describe Your First Date

Our first date was at Moon's Kitchen Cafe. It was the last day that we were able to hang out before I had to leave to go back to Washington (where I was living at the time).


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What are you favorite local things to do & places to go? 

We love to experience the local brewery scene - such as White Dog Brewing and Craft Brewer's of Boise. As well as hang out with our dog, Ruby, at Hops & Bottles!




What is one word of advice you have to those who are still in search of love?

This is sort of an update to our "Love in the BOI" from last year - but... Take a chance and put yourself out there, you might just meet your future spouse! We are getting married this August! The fact that we both put ourselves out there the night we met, completely changed our lives!


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Last year, Alyssa and Patrick were featured in their own Love in the BOI feature. At the time, they were dating. I’m so happy to see their have a #LoveInTheBOI update! Make sure to follow them on social media at @alyssajean93 and @pappy_van879. I anticipate some great wedding photos in their near future.

LOVE IN THE BOI: Jen + Brian

Meet Jen and Brian.

Their love story started on the first day of college at BSU. Their love continues to thrive and grow since day one.


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My husband and I met on the first day of college in the Chaffee Dorms at BSU.  He was from Spokane Washington and was in Boise to wrestle on scholarship, I was from the Seattle area and we started dating 6 months later—never looking back—and relocating to the Boise area.  Fun facts:  we have spent 24 Valentine’s Days together, we have 3 daughters, and we all train jiu-jitsu together.  Most fun fact:  Brian is fighting on the pro-card for Front Street Fights in Boise on February 1st after a 7 year retirement.  


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She wrote a story about the moment that sealed the deal for them to become more than friends.  It was featured in the Stonecrop Magazine at College of Western Idaho and it encompasses so much charm about Boise, and being kids and about loving the simple things about each other.  Here’s her story:

How We Became Us

I called him that night, Friday. The cold gray walls of my dorm were easy to resist, and when I asked him if he wanted to hang out, he did.

We hopped into his red Nissan pick-up, and over the radio, he asked me if I wanted to drive. I lurched and stalled it so many times that we traded seats. He may have laughed at me—yes, I am sure he did.

My lack of experience was a novelty.

We went up the hills overlooking the City of Trees. The air was cold and crisp, and lighted by Christmas. When we reached the top of the highest hill, the frosted, twinkling city so far below, we teetered there at the edge. Lying before us was some semblance of a road. Darkness on the backside of the hill swallowed up the Nissan’s narrow headlight beams.

"Let's go for it.”

He stepped on the gas and together we slipped down into the night and the mud, away from the city, from finals, cardboard pizza, stale coffee, and the quiet of an all-girls dorm. The engine called it quits when we plunged to a stop at the dark bottom of, what? We couldn't discern anything. The road was not a road at all, but a trap.  Other auto-victims had been here before.

 

Striking a flare and circling around, we spied underbrush for miles upon miles.  Deep scars of tire tread were etched into the ground around us.  An abandoned car.  A side view mirror, broken and half-buried. 

He fumbled with the winch, but sagebrush offers no leverage and when I pointed the flare to the ground, it licked my palm and singed my sleeve and I dropped it with a yelp.

We grasped shovels and flung mud until exhaustion formed blisters and then collapsed into the bed of his truck, tracing constellations in the sky and laughing at the mud smeared on our temples.  Giving in, we planned our escape route on foot. 

We were crushed by darkness and lost feeling in our toes but we were kids with no weight on our shoulders, and getting stranded in the hills was no big thing. Especially when it meant wearing a warm coat that smelled like him, holding hands, and catching the glint of that first-love spark.

But like I said, it was no big thing. Even when the tow truck gave up and the tractor said, "No way." To the tune of $400—all his measly college savings—the Nissan was set free by a CAT. Nothing M&W powdered donuts and orange juice couldn't fix.

What I recall most is that we drove up the hill as friends, and came down as a glimmer of something more. And three years later, on bended knee, a promise was made on the same nameless road. But this time, instead of foolishness, a proclamation of devotion and friendship.

And yes, love.

It’s been twenty-four years and I can say that I still like the way his jacket smells.

Thank you Jen & Brian for sharing your LOVE IN THE BOI story! You may follow them on Instagram at @jenwieber_writer and his is @thesemicolon

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LOVE IN THE BOI: Carlleen + Michael

Cupid did strike Carlleen and Michael when they first met on OK Cupid (dating app). From a first date watching football to enjoying exploring Boise together — this is Carlleen & Michael’s LOVE IN THE BOI story.


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How did you two meet?

We met on a dating app site (okcupid) back in 2014. What made Michael so special compared to any other guy that messaged me was his greeting was hey. No pickup lines, no commenting on my beauty or how tall I was. Just a simple hey. We messaged back and forth for a while, mainly about college math classes (I was good at math, he was not) but we also did the classic get to know each other topics too.


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Describe your first date.

Our first date was the Packer's/Seahawks game on September 4th, 2014. I asked him to watch the game with me. However, we met a few times before the date and Michael showed me around the Treasure Valley because I'm from Wisconsin. He never once made a move on me until he felt comfortable and so did I. Actually, Michael didn't make us official until 2 days after the Packer/Seahawks game. We were hanging out on the tailgate of his best friends truck and I was showing "interest" of him holding my hand. It took so long for Michael to actually hold my hand that his best friend said that if Michael didn't hold my hand that night (because I was showing all of the signs) that he would have kicked his butt and made him hold my hand.


What advice do you have for those looking for love in Boise?

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Act like tourists and see what sights the other person wants to show you! Michael showed me where he worked at, the schools he attend, and some of his hangout spots. Don't be afraid to date someone who's a normal human being! Michael and I are completely different people with different interests but sharing the love with someone you love is the best feeling ever.


Where is your favorite place to go (or thing to do) together as a couple?

If we are eating out at a restaurant/bar our go to for the Boise area is Quinn's on Vista. Our favorite things to do together would be fishing or taking a boat ride in my boat at the lakes around the area.



Go follow this couple at @carlleen13 & @wrxbumm 

Professional photos taken by: 7slottedadventures (https://aubreymilesphotography.com/)  


LOVE IN THE BOI: Michelle + John

Michelle and John moved to Boise 2 years ago. Although they didn’t technically fall in love in the BOI, their love for Boise and their life here has only made their love more adventurous. Here’s their story.

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We are of course in love with each other, married 33 years, but we are also in love with Boise. We moved here 2 1/2 years ago as empty nesters from Ohio. Our kids had moved to Oregon and California and we wanted to be closer to them.


We love everything about Boise. Last year we got a tandem bike to take advantage of the greenbelt and to get out and explore around town. We use our Instagram @TandemBoise to share local businesses, nonprofits and the beauty of Boise. 


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Last year we participated in @BoiseGoatheadfest and dressed as a bride and groom for our costumes. People actually thought we were just married. A woman even gave me the flowers she just bought at farmers market. She must have felt sorry for me with my plastic bouquet. 


We met as sophomores in high school where we worked together at a fast food restaurant. I trained him on his first day. Our first date was dinner on my 16th birthday when I also got to meet his parents.

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Our favorite thing to do in Boise is hop on our tandem bike and explore. Our advice for those looking for love in Boise is to get out and mingle at the many events going on around town and getting involved in an activity such as volunteering for a nonprofit. We’ve met lots of new people by friends introducing us to their friends. There is something and someone for everyone here. 


Michelle’s advice on dating? She suggests a mix of spontaneous and planned activities. Look for new experiences to do together and also learn more about each other’s interests. Make some dates group dates by including friends or family to see more of each other’s personalities and how you both handle different situations.

Most importantly, be yourself.

2018 Boise Goathead Fest

2018 Boise Goathead Fest

LOVE IN THE BOI: Alyssa + Patrick

Meet Alyssa and Patrick. Alyssa was in Boise for a weekend to visit her sorority sisters. Little did she know she’d meet a home grown Idahoan at a local bar downtown. Learn more how her weekend in Boise led to her eventually relocating & starting a life with Patrick

Alyssa + Patrick

Alyssa + Patrick


My name is Alyssa, and my boyfriend Patrick and I have been dating for almost two years.

I’m a UI alum from Washington, and I was in town visiting a couple of my sorority sisters during St Patrick’s day. I met Patrick, a home grown Idaho guy that went to BSU and has lived in Boise his whole life, at bar downtown when we happened to be hanging out with mutual friends. I didn’t think much of it at the time. I thought he was just a fun guy and I continued to hang out with him throughout that weekend. I jokingly asked him to be my date to one of my good friends wedding that June (the next time I thought I would be in town) and he agreed.

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But after that weekend, we just kept talking. We ended up talking, calling, and FaceTiming every day.

I found myself visiting Boise many times and we decided we would give the long distance thing a try.

The following April (2018) I uprooted my life and moved down to Boise to start a life with Patrick.

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All of our friends and family say to us all the time how happy we look and that they are so happy for us to have found each other. And we couldn’t agree more. We often talk about how it was such a slim chance to have found each other but we are so glad we did - and grateful to have Boise be the backdrop to our love story.

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LOVE IN THE BOI: Josh + Meg

Meet Josh + Meg. Their love story all started with a Tweet. Keep reading to learn more:






How Did You First Meet?

My wife and I met in the summer of 2011 through twitter of all places. I’m originally from Kentucky. My wife was born and raised here in Boise. 


Her favorite musician at the time, LIGHTS, retweeted some silly tweet I had sent to her and Meg thought I was cute and funny (her words) and decided to follow me. I thought the same and followed her back. One thing led to another and we started talking, then video chatting, until finally I decided to finally fly out at meet her in person. 

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Describe Your First Date:

I guess you could say our first date was in the Boise airport where after months of wanting we finally got to share our first kiss. 

I spent a week here falling in love with her and Boise and as crazy as it sounded two the two of us we decided to give the long distance relationship thing a shot. 

Amazingly enough we made it work. I’d visit here. She’d visit there until finally I decided to take a leap of faith and uproot my entire life and move 2000 miles from my home, family, and friends in the spring of 2013. 

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I proposed to Meg after we saw the Avett Brothers at the Morrison Center in 2013 and we were married the following September. 

Then in 2016 we were blessed with the arrival of our son. None of this would had been possible if I hadn’t sent that stupid little tweet in 2011. 




What advice do you have for those looking for love in Boise?

My advice to anyone looking for love is never give up on yourself and be willing to listen to what your heart is telling you. Even if it tells you to do something really scary like move across the country. It might be this best thing you’ll ever do.  








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Thank you Josh for sharing your LOVE IN THE BOI STORY! Make sure to follow this couple on Instagram at : @josephdigger and @dearmathias

LOVE IN THE BOI: Ansley + David

Meet Ansley & David. They may have had class together, but it wasn’t until spending a week on a boat to lead to true love. Here’s their #LOVEINTHEBOI story.

 


 

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How Did You First Meet?

David and I met at BSU! I was in my last year of grad school and he was a senior in his undergrad program. One of my professors convinced him to take a particular grad level class and we ended up in Hyperbaric Physiology together. 16 weeks in the same class and we spoke to each other ONE TIME. But apparently he talked about me to his friends all semester. During this class we learned about how the body works and adapts in environments with high pressure like under water. We had the opportunity to become scuba certified which allowed us to spend a week on a boat in the Bahamas at the end of the semester. I think we connected because it was a very romantic set up, David thinks its because i was stranded on a boat in the middle of the ocean and couldn't escape him. (hahaha) We spent the 2015 NYE watching fireworks from the middle of the Caribbean and stayed up all night talking and falling in love. 

We couldn't love our story more.


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Describe Your First Date

Would you believe me if i said that NEITHER ONE OF US remember our first date? *face palm* Because honestly we don't remember anything...

 

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What Advice Do You Have For Someone Looking for Love in the BOI?

Advice for those looking for love in Boise: there are SO many romantic ways to fall in love. Maybe taking a class at BSU is a good start? All kidding aside, Boise is a picture perfect place to find a sweetheart. If being outside is your niche, don't give that up. Find yourself someone who is willing to try new things and no matter what the adventure is, they simply enjoy your company and learning more about who you are.

I was never an adrenaline junkie, but after marrying a pro jet ski racer, I found myself loving all things motors, fast, and dirty. I have found someone with completely different interests but we teach each other so much. We could be sitting on a bench at the park and have a blast. 

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Name Your Favorite Spots to Explore in Boise:

Our favorite place on the planet is Jackson Hole, Wyoming. After getting engaged at the top of the mountain, its hard not to have love for such a breathtaking spot. The plan is to retire there, but that seems like a pipe dream. Other than that, our second favorite place is wherever family is. And our families are all over the country so traveling is a regular thing for us. When we aren't traveling to see family or to a jet ski race, we are enjoying our Bogus passes or hanging out with friends or with our GSP's at the dog park. Boise is so perfect for us and we love our love for each other and this amazing city.

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Thank you Ansley and David for sharing your #LoveInTheBOI story! Make sure you follow them on Instagram: David: redinger3 and Ansley: anz_make_u_danz


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