It All Started When…
Ian Cotten and Anna Mansfield (aka the Cottenfields) met in a conference room in Philadelphia on a cold day in March 2014 as they prepared for their Peace Corps journey to the Warm Heart of Africa: Malawi. They quickly bonded during training (nothing brings two people together like long days, clandestine beers, and emergency bathroom breaks!) and, despite being placed in villages on opposite ends of the country, they made their relationship “official” the next year. Their many covert adventures across Malawi to see each other, spend time with friends, and explore new places were the perfect preview of the life they’d build together.
After their service, Anna and Ian (and the boys who kindly let Anna crash the bro road trip!) traveled through Zambia and Zimbabwe. In true low-budget rom-com fashion, they parted ways at Victoria Falls committed to continuing their couplehood into a very TBD phase of life. The following year was a hodgepodge of jobs - in Idaho, Sierra Leone, Missouri, and Wisconsin - and one characterized by endless FaceTimes, meet-ups in their hometowns, reunions in “the middle” (Europe, conveniently!), and the unwavering patience of their families.
Anna and Ian decided that wherever one of them got a “real job” first would be the place they moved together. Anna won, so the two suburban kids headed to Brooklyn! In the waning days of 2017, they loaded up a 5’ x 8’ trailer with all of their possessions and headed east through a blizzard to start their next chapter. Despite landing in Brooklyn unwittingly, the city felt like home, and Anna and Ian spent the next few years exploring the city, nurturing a new network of friends, and building their careers. Their 425-square-foot apartment somehow felt too empty, so they also welcomed their first pup, Reina, in 2018. She immediately became queen of the dog park and enjoyed all of the friends, bars, parks, and food the city had to offer. In the mid-summer throes of COVID and remote life, they agreed it was time to head back out west to stretch their legs and grow their roots.
They arrived in Boise in August 2020 and moved in with Anna’s dad, thinking that Boise might be temporary… Their bubble with family and friends drew them in, and five years later, they are still here (though they have moved out of Don’s house!). They were fortunate to become homeowners in March 2021 – a dream that seemed impossible just nine months earlier – and Stella was added to the Cottenfield pack shortly after that, bringing peak-level chaos, entertainment, and cuddles into the home. They’ve all fully embraced Idaho life: family time, rafting, skiing, hiking, camping, and soaking in hot springs. But most importantly, they’ve built an amazing community – and a pretty wonderful life – along the way. They can’t wait for all that is to come, and are so happy that you are a part of their past, present, and future.
