How we met: Troy and I met back in 2010 at a mutual friend’s house. We exchanged numbers and from there he reached out to me multiple times. He even came to visit me at work with a friend of ours. I found him overwhelmingly attractive, charming and everything in between. But our timing was not yet perfect and holding out on a first date was one of the best decisions I ever made. After admiring one another from afar, our roles in each other’s lives would forever change.
It was the night before Thanksgiving in 2012. We both went downtown separately with friends. While upstairs at a popular bar we found each other from across the room, locked eyes and sparks truly flew. I knew in that moment he was the game changer. No more walls, no more waiting, just Troy and I. From that night on we were inseparable and I finally felt all of the missing pieces in my heart become found and replaced with his love.
how they asked: Troy had just received news of what would be a big promotion! We planned a trip to visit the city he would soon be relocated to; Winston-Salem, North Carolina. We drove from Florida to Winston in a day and I was already experiencing sensory overload having seen leaves changing colors on trees and mountains for the first time. During our trip we drove to Hanging Rock State Park which is filled with winding trails leading to breathtaking waterfalls.
But the main attraction is the peak of a mountain with a rock fixated off the side, suspended in open air. We hiked the 1.3 miles to the top of the mountain (which was impressive for Troy being 2 months removed from ACL reconstruction!). Once at the top we made our way out to the edge of the hanging rock that was home to a heart-stopping view.
We sat and looked out in awe together but just before leaving, Troy asked to take a picture of me with my back to the camera to capture looking out off the mountain’s edge. When he asked me to take a look at the pictures he took, I turned around to find him down on one knee with an astounding ring in hand. After his amazing speech with tears of joy in my eyes, I said,”YES!” to his proposal and became engaged to my best friend!
