Proposal on the Peak: Our Engagment from Two Perspectives

The day we got engaged is one that we still laugh about. For the person proposing, engagements are always stressful and unpredictable because of all the things outside of their control. For the person being proposed to, they just get to sit back and enjoy what has been planned for them, in our case maybe too much. No matter who’s viewpoint the story comes from, ours has a happy ending.

Joffrey

Former Heavyweight Boxer Mike Tyson has a famous quote that goes “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Although I’m sure Iron Mike was referring to a fist fight, it also applies to my experience proposing to Christine.

Let’s back up a little. Christine and I had been dating for a few years, were living together and had discussed our future together. So by the time that I decided I was going to propose, I had no doubt that she was going to say yes. But once I bought the ring, shit got real, and suddenly I was nervous. Nervous that my proposal wouldn’t be perfect enough. Nervous that I had maybe misread the situation and she actually DIDN’T want to marry me. Nervous that she was going to find the ring and ruin the surprise (I later found out that she had seen the bill when it was mailed to our house and knew about the ring the whole time). The ring was burning a hole in my pocket and I was anxiously waiting for the right moment.

I took the ring everywhere, just in case the ideal moment materialized. About a month before I bought the ring, we had gone to an Ed Sheeran concert, where there were about 37 perfect opportunities to propose (actually, another couple got engaged at that concert and Ed invited them backstage to celebrate). After that, I was determined to always be ready. I even crafted a small ring box out of an altoids tin so that I could easily carry it around in my pocket. And I was always looking for an opportunity. There was one time that we went to get Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, one of Christine’s favorite places, and I had a whole plan to hide the ring in her ice-cream. I changed my mind when I remembered that Christine eats ice-cream like a rabid animal.

Finally, I had the perfect opportunity. We had planned a road trip up the east coast, stopping for a few days in New York City. The Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Empire State Building. All wonderfully memorable spots. The whole trip, I was so worried that Christine was going to find the ring and the surprise was going to be ruined. I nervously snapped at her once when she was looking through my backpack for some hand lotion. Meanwhile, at every site we visited, I was constantly looking for the perfect spot and the right moment. But the right moment never came in New York.

The next leg of our trip we drove to Vermont to visit some of Christine’s family. On the first full day, Christine’s uncle suggested we go hiking at a place not too far from there, Putney Mountain. I quietly let him know that I was planning to propose and thought that the top of the mountain might be the perfect opportunity. He agreed and happily wished me luck. We talked for a bit and decided that I would give him a signal, and he would step off to the side when it was time. I figured out how I was going to walk over to her, how I was going to kneel, and what I was going to say. It was the perfect plan.

Remember earlier, when I mentioned having a plan, up until the moment you get punched in the mouth? Well, what was supposed to be our private moment on top of a secluded mountain-top, turned out to be the gathering site for a group of enthusiastic bird-watchers. One particularly excited amateur ornithologist found it necessary to scream out to her group every time a hawk flew into her line of sight, and apparently the best vantage point was 3 feet from where we were sitting. Since our location was no longer a viable option for a proposal, I asked Christine to walk to another spot across the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, she had gotten comfortable and didn’t want to go anywhere. After eventually (awkwardly) convincing her that the view was better on the other side of the mountain, I gave the signal to her uncle and it was go-time. And then I froze up. I forgot how I was going to hold her hand, how I was going to kneel, and (most importantly) what I was going to say. I eventually got down on one knee, took the ring out of its custom-made altoid case, and asked Christine to marry me. I don’t exactly remember what I said, as I’m pretty sure I blacked out, but Christine assures me that it was very awkward. Still, she said yes, and the rest is history.

Christine

I knew I wanted to marry Joffrey about a year and a half into our relationship, so when we hit the 2 year mark I was sure he would be popping the question soon. For our two year dating anniversary (May 5th) we went on a trip to North and South Carolina (we will be posting about this trip in the future) and I thought it might happen then. We watched the most incredible sunset in Folly Beach, SC and I was on pins and needles every time he said my name or pointed something out, but it didn’t happen on that trip.

Needless to say I was VERY disappointed, but I knew I wouldn’t be waiting too much longer. How would I know such valuable information you ask. Well, a couple of months later I saw a bill in the mail from a jeweler and he was busted. I never mentioned anything to him because I didn’t want to take anything away from the moment he had been planning, plus I had no idea when he was going to do it…he is a procrastinator after all.

Fast forward a month or two later to September when we were on the third stop of our road trip up the East Coast of the United States visiting my aunt and uncle in Vermont. My uncle suggested hiking up to the top of a mountain and having lunch there. The weather was gorgeous, the leaves were still changing (something we don’t get to see much of in Florida) and I love picnics, so what could be better than that?!

After a short hike up the mountain we were greeted with an amazing view of the trees and a group of enthusiastic bird watchers. While we were eating lunch, one of the birdwatchers wandered over to our area and started SCREAMING over and over, “I got two hawks”. This continued for about 15 minutes and each time she screamed out about the hawk she had sighted, I pulled out my camera to try to get a shot of the hawk so it kinda worked out to my advantage.

Seconds after I finished my sandwich, Joffrey asked me to walk over to another area, but I was enjoying the moment and continued to sit for a little longer. He grew insistent for me to join him so I finally got up and walked over to him, but not before wondering where my uncle had wandered off to and if I needed to bring all of our stuff with me (we all know bird watchers can’t be trusted). When I finally joined Joffrey he was acting weird and anxious, which is the complete opposite of how he usually is. He grabbed me and hugged me for what felt like a long time (I love hugs, but I was missing hawk pictures!), said a few sweet words about wanting to experience new things with me for the rest of our lives and then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Of course I said “Yes!” and the rest is history.