How We Met
We’ve been together for a little over 6 years, having met and started dating our sophomore year of college at Penn State (GO LIONS!). It was a St. Patrick’s Day party, and he was wearing a “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” shirt – and while we didn’t exchange any kisses during that first party, we were each other’s beer pong partners for a couple of rounds (ah, college romance!).
We shared a ton of friends and would often chat with each other at parties, until finally Dave took the plunge and asked me out to supper on October 4, 2012. I was so drawn to his witty sense of humor and his ability to make me feel instantly comfortable. We haven’t looked back since. Over our 6 years together we’ve graduated from college, moved to Boston, started graduate school, had several jobs and internships, and moved apartments four times.
how they asked
Dave and I had been planning our big vacation to Greece for about a year. I had never been, but Dave had studied abroad there and it’s a very special place for him. We were going to be traveling over our sixth anniversary so that in and of itself was special to me. We were going on vacation with another couple friend of ours, so I REALLY didn’t see a proposal coming (no, really, not at all). Dave is a natural historian having received his Masters of History from Boston College last year (I got my Masters in English from Northeastern at the same — #nerdlove) so it was I was really looking forward to having his as our tour guide for the week.
We landed in Athens and would spend the next few days wandering around the city, eating incredible food and drink (way) too much wine. Halfway through our drive from Athens to Nafplio, after having visited the impressive site of Mycenae and the delicious wineries of Nemea, Dave mentioned a third site he wanted to visit before we reached the coastal town of Nafplio: the Heraion of Argos. It was an absolutely stunning day – 75 and perfectly sunny – and we had some time to kill before our Airbnb check-in, so we pulled up the drive to the Heraion. There was absolutely no one there – in fact, the site had actually closed for the day – but that didn’t stop us from getting out and taking in the gorgeous landscape – rolling hills peppered with olive trees, puffy white clouds hanging low in the sky.
“It’s so beautiful – do you want to get a picture?” Dave asked.
“Yes!”
As we got set up for a photo and our two friends got their cameras ready, Dave started to say: “You know what the Heraion of Argos is? It’s the Temple of Hera. She’s the goddess of family and marriage, and I can’t imagine a more perfect place to ask you to be my wife.” One knee, on the ground. “Jessica Renee Myers, will you marry me?”
I think I blacked out – but I know that I asked, “Are you serious?!” at least three times – all of which Dave responded to, laughing, with a “Yes” and then finally a “Ναί” (Greek for “yes”) – before, of course, saying yes.