When I first met Max, I was sitting in the sand on Queens Beach in Waikiki, pretending I was ready to learn how to surf that night, in the dark. My friend had brought him over because said he could teach us. He had that beachy, calm energy that felt effortless. I figured he’d give us a few quick tips and disappear.
Instead, he sat down and we talked for hours.
He did attempt a brief surf lesson but it was dark and I was scared to go past where the waves were breaking. We were getting tossed around and Max was getting hit in the face with the surfboard as he tried to guide me, so he suggested we try this tomorrow in the daylight.
He typed his number into my phone and we eventually parted ways for the evening. He later admitted to me he was so nervous he’d gotten one digit wrong.
That night back at the hotel, I cried to my friend because I was sure I had just met my soulmate and probably wasn’t going to see him again. It was definitely dramatic but I ended up being right.
But he texted and the next day, we met up again. He said we were going to surf but took us to a beach where there were never waves. He just wanted to hang out and talk, without the stress of crashing waves and a surf lesson.
We met up again on the beach and made plans for me to visit Chicago.
Now, almost 3 years later, I have since learned how to surf (a little), we have ran around Europe, are engaged, and have a little pup running around.
We got engaged and it was truly one of the most special days of my life. When he got down on his knee on that rooftop in Paris, there was no answer clearer than “yes.” I didn’t even let him get the question out.
Our love story is my favorite to tell. As a little girl, I often dreamed about what my fairytale romance might look like, and now I'm lucky enough to hold that very story in my hands. Max and I started TimeSwan to help others capture their own fairytale love stories—beautifully printed, bound, and honored exactly as they're meant to be.
The stories behind the albums.
Each of these albums began with a story and we’re honored to help tell it.