How We Met
John and I met in the summer of 2010 through mutual friends. My college roommate introduced us as he was her friend from high school. That is how our relationship remained for the following four years; friends. We saw each other once in a while at parties or out with certain groups, but never got to talking much. We were young at the time, college freshman, and needed to spend a few more years figuring life out before getting into a relationship.
On John’s 22nd birthday we all went out to celebrate. This was the first time we really had a conversation. We started telling stupid jokes and quoting comedy movies we both liked, and it was then that I realized we had a lot more in common that I thought. We started to spend more time together and by the end of the summer, he asked me to be his girlfriend. Multiple apartments, jersey shore houses, and several football and baseball games later, we have spent the last 6+ years completely inseparable.
How They Asked
We planned a trip to the Bahamas in August 2019. I didn’t really think anything would really come of it, especially since the trip was completely my idea. There wasn’t really an occasion, we just hadn’t been on a vacation in a long time and wanted to spend some time alone. The day before we were set to leave, we found out that Hurricane Dorian was quickly approaching the islands in the Bahamas. I started to panic and told John I thought we should consider cancelling. He was SO adamant that we could not change the plan, little did I know this was a much bigger deal to him than I realized. The flights and hotel were not cancelled so, off we went.
When we got to the resort, everything was perfect. Beautiful sunny skies and an inviting beach and pool. The only downside was that the swim up bar (one of the reasons I picked that resort) was under construction and closed. Bummer! John jokes now that it was a blessing in disguise so we did not over-serve ourselves during the day. When we first got to the room, John told me that he had hired a photographer to take pictures of us at sunset. I was slightly suspicious at this point, but he played it off that we never take nice pictures together and his mom had been wanting one. So I bought it. We spent the day in the ocean, pool, eating great food, sipping on cocktails and just enjoying each other’s company. John left me in the pool at one point to run back to the room, and I remember just sitting there wish the biggest smile thinking that this was one of the greatest days. Unbeknownst to me, he was really running to meet with the photographer to discuss the plan for later.
We showered up and headed down to the beach to start taking pictures. The photographer took about 100+ pictures before anything happened, so I started to think maybe this is not the time. At one point she had me facing away from John, and asked me to take my rings off (I always had two rings on my ring finger) because they were reflecting with the flash of the camera. At that moment I knew a new ring was surely on it’s way! I turned around and there was John on one knee. To this day, I’m not entirely certain he said “will you marry me?” He was mostly laughing at me because I burst out into tears, a reaction I was not expecting. It was the happiest I have ever felt. All of the moments we shared throughout the years flashed before my eyes and I couldn’t believe this monumental thing was happening for us. Truly the best day ever.
The rest of the trip consisted of loss of power, closed beaches and limited food menus as the hurricane got closer and closer. Thankfully it did not his Nassau and we returned to NY safely. I think we needed a vacation-after-the-vacation after all of that stress!
