How We Met
The story of how Alex and I met is my favorite story. The only way to describe it is fate.
It all started in 2011. I was in college studying journalism at Arizona State University. I had to make a documentary for a school project and decided to make it on what a YouTube star was. I had a strong urge to have this be my topic, but I didn’t know why…yet. At the time, I recently met a YouTuber who introduced me to people in the industry to have in his documentary. So I flew out to Los Angeles with my class partners to film it.
After the documentary came out, I decided to go to Vidcon, a convention for YouTubers and digital media in Los Angeles, to promote the documentary and interview YouTube stars.
In comes my now fiance, Alex. I saw him from across the room and decided to interview him. I knew he was a YouTube star but I hadn’t heard of him. After our interview, it turned out that he was roommates with the friend who helped me with my documentary. Even crazier, I was in his house filming it before we even met! (He wasn’t home that day) By the time I met Alex, I was in the process of moving to Los Angeles. It turned out that he lived down the street from where I was going to live! At that moment, I knew Alex and I had to be friends. Little did I know that he was hoping for more.
Unbeknownst to me, Alex was one of the Top 100 YouTube stars in the world. He was filming a music video that night and invited me to be in it. Little did I know, he was asking me so he could get my number! Here I thought I was making a new friend, now I love the fact that the day we met is on video.
It was funny because that day, as I was filming my interviews, my camera died. My parents were staying at a hotel nearby. I asked them to drop off a new battery for me and asked Alex if he would come with me to get it from them. He agreed. As we picked it up, I introduced Alex to my parents. In my mind, I made a new friend and was being polite by introducing him. However, Alex mistook my friendliness for liking him. In his mind, he was thinking “OMG! I am already meeting her parents! This is moving so fast!” Little did he knew that those were famous last thoughts!
It wasn’t until later that night after we stopped filming the music video that Alex’s best friend told me Alex had a crush on me. I giggled and shrugged it off because, at the time, I only wanted to be friends. Alex never knew that I knew he liked me since the day we met.
We became close friends over the next few years. Now, I’m sure you’re wondering how he got out of the friend zone?
Three years into our friendship, Alex told me he was planning to leave the country for a few months and that maybe he wouldn’t come back. He wanted new friends and a new life. After that conversation, I started to cry. I couldn’t bear the thought of Alex leaving forever. At that moment, I realized that I loved him. I hoped it wasn’t too late to show him that after all these years I liked him. But man, did he make that hard!
I knew after friend-zoning him for so long, I needed to be the one to make a move. So I kept trying to hang out with him, but he was ignoring me. Was it too late? Finally, I won him back over. It turned out that he ended up not leaving the country. Instead, we started our relationship. Eight years later, we’re engaged.
Who knew I would be in my future husband’s apartment one year before we met? Somehow, Alex knew.
How They Asked
Every night, for as long as I can remember, I wondered what my future husband was doing. I prayed for the day I’d meet him. Before we started dating, I wrote down everything I wanted in my future husband. On that list was someone kind, loyal, smart, fun, with a loving family, and… a guy who could propose with a flash mob viral video! This last thing I thought would never come true. Who could do that? A flash mob proposal was the icing on the cake; I knew there were other things more meaningful in a relationship. I told the universe I didn’t need that, but that I thought it’d be cool.
Little did I know that God was listening to my prayers. Eight years ago, Alex came into my life. A kind, loyal, loving man with a great family, and WHAT? He was a YouTube star named Keep the Heat who made viral videos? That’s exactly what I wrote down! I knew this coincidence was a sign that we were meant to be because only God knew that I wrote this down at the end of my list.
On August 25th, Alex orchestrated an epic flash mob proposal at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, comprised of all our songs. I knew Alex would propose this year, but once the pandemic hit, I had no idea what that moment would look like. Could we do something special while also being safe?
We set up a tour of the hotel to view it as a wedding venue. Little did I know that he arranged the hotel to be in on the surprise! While on the tour, I kept wondering why our guide kept skipping the main lawn. Finally, as soon as we got there, music started playing. Instantly, I knew it was a flash mob, but it took me a long time to realize it was for me!
I can’t believe that Alex set up the proposal of my dreams against all the odds.
Like you reading this post or watching our video, I watched so many proposal videos like this one. I always dreamed I could have a special moment like this. This moment was even more meaningful than I could ever imagine.
Now, the video has a whole new meaning. Due to the pandemic, we can’t celebrate this special moment with our family and friends. We have no idea when we will be able to. This video makes our loved ones feel like they are with us which is so important to us.
After Alex proposed, the hotel had a man who makes sandcastles write our name on one, then the hotel treated us like VIPS the rest of the day. For one day we felt like life was normal again. It was perfect.
Somehow, everything I wrote came true. Some things are meant to be!
I wish I had the space to write down all the magical stories about how I knew Alex was the one, but I will leave you with this: the number 19. Alex loved the number 19. He considered it “his” number. He was the 19th person in his homeroom class every year during school amongst other things. Well, my birthday is on June 19. Also, look at the number on the dancer’s jersey in the flash mob ;)
And if that’s not enough, if you add all the digits of our proposal date 8/25/2020 (8+2+5+2+2) equals 19!
If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is. These are just some of the reasons on a list of millions that I know Alex is the one.