When You Know, You Know.

I thought I was just taking another work trip. Instead, I found the beginning of my forever.

I was seven months into my new position at Amazon as one of their American Sign Language interpreters. I had made the leap from non-profit community work into the corporate world, thinking it would give me more time for life outside of work. Instead, I found myself even more drained.

We were three months into the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. I was living alone in my condo, stuck in a stale relationship of convenience, and beginning to accept that maybe this was as good as it was going to get.

My Pinterest boards told a different story—flights to faraway places, road trips to breathtaking views, even vanlife and skoolie builds. I scrolled social media, living vicariously through others who seemed to be living my Pinterest life.

Then one day, an email came through:

“Hey Jenny, we need an onsite interpreter in Oregon for a few days…”

I grew up on the Central Coast of California, later moving inland to the Central Valley. I’d been blessed with some travel—Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, Ireland—but not much exploring of my own backyard. When I first joined Amazon, they flew me to Seattle, and I remember how good it felt to get out again.

So when the opportunity came to interpret for a Deaf employee working on a special Amazon delivery project in Oregon, I jumped at the chance. Not many people were willing to travel with COVID still looming, but I was itching to go.

I packed my bags, booked my flight and rental car, and felt a rush of excitement. How big girl of me—going on a real work trip!

Landing in Portland, I was instantly in awe. As I drove along the Columbia River, music blasting, I couldn’t stop staring at the lush green forests, the water, the hills, the mountains.

A girl could live here, I thought. Maybe I don’t need to stay in Fresno.

When the scenery shifted back to familiar farmland, I felt a strange pull in my chest. Something was changing. I didn’t know what yet.

The week in Oregon flew by. I met the team, connected with a few coworkers I’d only known virtually, and genuinely enjoyed being away. Then, as I landed back in Fresno, my phone buzzed:

“Can you go back to Oregon for a week? Maybe even two?”

Yes.

I went home, did laundry, repacked, booked another flight, and off I went again.

That Monday morning, as I arrived onsite, one of the team members smiled casually and said,

“Good to see you again, Jenny.”

That was David.

Now, I’ll spare you the details of the wooing and flirtations—but I’ll never forget the moment he asked if I was married. When I said “no,” he grinned and said,

“So you’re fair game.”

We spent that week chatting, laughing, connecting. And I felt myself falling—fast.

The night before I was set to leave, we spent a few quiet hours together. I didn’t understand it, but I knew in my bones that this man was my soulmate. It felt crazy, but it felt right.

The next morning, as I packed my rental car, my phone buzzed again.

“Can I see you before you go?”

We met at a local park. He showed me the school bus he had just purchased—freshly painted on the outside but bare inside. He walked me through his vision for the build, explaining his plans and even weaving me into them, describing how I could see myself living there too.

Later, we visited a nearby recreation area to take in the views. When it came time to leave, we hugged, and my feet felt like lead. I didn’t want to go.

Driving away, I watched my rearview mirror, hoping for just one last glimpse of him. And then, there it was—

the school bus, following behind me. I cried the entire drive back to Portland.

Who was this man—and why did he have my heart?

When I got home, I ended things with my boyfriend. To my surprise, David kept texting.

Over the next few weeks, I returned to Oregon several more times. We went on a proper date, shared our first kiss, and I spent days fighting the words “I love you.”

One afternoon, he took me to a beautiful water reserve. He was acting nervous, and I braced myself for the familiar line I’d heard before—

“This has been great, but…”

Instead, he handed me something small.

“Here. If you want them.”

In my hand was a set of keys. A keychain dangled from it:

“Our First Home.”

I never could’ve imagined that a work trip during a pandemic would lead me to the love of my life. What started as an escape from routine became the doorway to a life I didn’t even know was waiting for me.

With David, I found laughter, peace, and a kind of love that feels like home. I thought I was chasing adventure, but what I found was something even greater—someone who makes the ordinary feel extraordinary, and the world feel wide open again.

That day in Oregon, my story changed forever. And now, every mile, every memory, and every morning beside David reminds me—I found my forever.