We met online. I (Leslie) was coming out of a dysfunctional relationship and not looking for anything serious, but I decided to reply to Allen’s sweet message because he had impeccable grammar! We lived about 6 hours apart, so the first three months were spent getting to know one another through texts, calls, and FaceTime. When we finally met in person, our connection was electric, and our bond has only deepened. It’s been 5 years together, and we just celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary!

This may sound generic, but it was our wedding day. We had both been through dark periods in our pasts, and at times thought we’d never get the chance to experience the kind of love, joy, acceptance, and happiness that we found with each other. Our wedding day was just a huge, wild celebration of love truly conquering all. We were surrounded by everyone who had held us up and held us together, and having them there to celebrate definitely multiplied the joy. It was absolutely a dream come true.

We are in the beginning stages of dreaming up a nonprofit that would make travel, specifically beach access, easier for people with disabilities. Traveling together is one of our passions, but as an interabled couple we are well aware of the barriers that can make it difficult for travelers with mobility challenges. We would love to provide beaches across the U.S. with mobi mats and other equipment to make beaches accessible for all. $20,000 would go a long way towards making this a reality!