Millie and Austin’s story begins, as many great romances do, with a technical oversight. They spent years at the same secondary school—same corridors, same classrooms, probably even the same lunch queue—yet somehow never spoke. It wasn’t until sixth form in 2015 that fate (or friendship groups) finally intervened.

From then on, they became a constant in each other’s lives. They mastered long-distance early, survived university in different cities, and navigated a brief narrative detour featuring law school, Sydney, and a short spell of “right person, wrong timing.”

By 2020 they found their way back to each other—older, wiser, and better organised. Since then, life has been full throttle: a medical degree earned, the world of city work embraced, and a backpacking adventure across continents by planes, trains, and the occasional questionable night bus.

Eventually they swapped nomadic life for a home in Winchester—proof that even seasoned travellers appreciate a good coffee shop and reliable heating.

And then came the proposal. Austin chose the Chilean mountains, surrounded by snow and sky—because if their story proves anything, it’s that their best moments tend to involve altitude, adventure, and a thermal layer.