Mike proposed to me last night, which means I’m engaged! WHAT? I know! It’s crazy talk.

It didn’t sink in until this morning at 5am, and then I couldn’t sleep, which is why I’m writing this on my hotel balcony now. (I’m currently on vacation in Hawaii). Total shocker. I mean, I knew it was going to happen eventually…maybe in the next few years or so…but I didn’t know it was going to happen now.

The Proposal

We had a delicious dinner at a local Japanese restaurant, and decided to take a walk down Waikiki beach before heading back to our hotel. It was a beautiful, warm night, and the shore felt so peaceful, especially since it was the exact same spot where we were running and splashing around in like idiots earlier in the day. (For the record, I can’t surf, no matter how hard I try.)

We sat down on the rocks overlooking the ocean, and Mike started mumbling wonderful things about our lives together which I didn’t really register because I was jet-lagged and tipsy. Anyway, he got down on a knee and bam! a black velvet box appeared out of nowhere.

He asked me if I would marry him.

I said no! And I hurled the ring into the ocean as hard as I could.

Just kidding. I said yes. At this point, I’m bawling like a baby. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

The proposal wasn’t a big production, it wasn’t meticulously planned, but it was absolutely perfect. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

(The spot is now officially archived on Google Maps)

The Backstory

It’s funny that he proposed to me now, because I was hoping he would soon. We read each other’s minds a lot, and as cheesy at it sounds, it’s true. That’s the kind of connection we have (aww). It turns out that this ring was burning a hole in his pocket for five months. FIVE MONTHS! Sneaky.

He got the ring in Georgia, when he went back home to visit his family for Christmas. He went straight to Tiffany’s to pick out a ring after a conversation with his mom (thank you, future mother-in-law).

But here’s the thing that really touched me. He asked my parents for their blessing two days before our trip. It’s uncommon nowadays, but he’s an old-fashioned guy who knows that I have old-fashioned parents. If you know my parents, you know what a big deal this is. Doing this showed me how much he cared for me – my parents love me to death, but they are tough people, and have very high expectations for me. I think most guys would give up after meeting them for the first time.

My parents grilled him for 45 minutes. He sweated. All the questions were answered correctly, and was given the ok to go ahead and do it. YAY!

The Bling

He proposed to me with the torque ring designed by Frank Gehry. It’s a ring that I’ve been wanting to get myself for a while. He didn’t know what kind of ring to get me, but didn’t want to be ringless when proposing, so he got me a ring that I liked, with the intention that we would trade it in for another if I preferred something different.

The ring is a smooth, silver band that’s been twisted. It’s super cool, especially if you like unconventional jewelry like I do. As awesome as it is, it’s getting traded in for another one because it is huge. It looks like a men’s ring on me. We’re going shopping today. Fun!

Update: We traded in my ring for the Mosaic Ring from Tiffany & Co. Woo!

Happy

I am thrilled. Not just for today, but for the next 124 years (we decided we’re living to 150). In the time we’ve been dating, he’s helped me become who I really am, and made me laugh really hard the entire way. He’s going to be by my side, and I couldn’t be happier.