Posted on Nov 15, 2026 UTC

I met Doug on a 20-day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon, where I was randomly assigned to be the sole passenger in his boat. He was a former raft guide and bona fide waterman, soft-spoken and ruggedly handsome. I was a rafting novice who thought rain gear could stand in for a dry suit, and I’d signed on to the trip on a complete whim.

It sounds like the premise of a hit reality dating show, except that neither of us was cut out for reality television. If the cameras had been rolling, they would have had to add a lot of sound effects in postproduction. Like crickets. Or maybe that “womp womp” sad trombone noise.

I’m an introvert , shy around strangers and not very good at small talk, and Doug is quiet around everyone, so the first day in our shared raft was awkward. He asked me what I did for work, where I went to school and where I grew up, and I repeated the questions back.…