I Run Like A Girl

As you can tell from the title, it’s been a very exciting few days. 🙂 As part of our holiday travel tour, Joe and I are in my hometown in upstate New York, and the absolute highlight was Joe asking to marry me! The proposal was absolutely perfect, I’m still in shock that we’re engaged.

This proposal was a genuine surprise. I had no idea it was coming that day, and Joe worked very hard to keep it that way. After the fact, I found out how much Joe coordinated with my family to keep it a secret since they know I am very perceptive and like to know everything. I’ll always look back and remember the pure joy and shock of when he got down on one knee. ❤

Now let’s start from the beginning. I woke early in the morning – after getting ready, my brother (Andrew) came to me somewhat seriously asking to talk. I said of course, so we headed to Starbucks to chat in private. At Starbucks, Andrew told me he was considering a life-changing career change, and he wanted my unbiased opinion. I was super invested and asked him about 100 questions, and he had detailed answers to each one. We stayed for about an hour as I offered my advice.

Little did I know that Joe and Andrew coordinated to get me out of the house so Joe could ask my parents for permission to marry me…Andrew was instructed to do whatever it took to keep me away from the house for an hour. My brother should become an actor because he gave 110% to this performance. I was truly convinced he was at some life crossroads and felt so flattered he came to me for advice. 😛

During this time, Joe talked to my parents — looking back, he was so incredibly thoughtful to do this. They were surprised but very supportive. Apparently, my mom suggested he propose to me at the mall…I’m very grateful Joe did not take her advice. 😉

Andrew and I got back to the house in the late morning. Joe landed in New York the night before (I was already home for a week by that point), and he brought up doing a hike to shake out the travel. I was on board and suggested a few options. Andrew and my sister (Christina) helped narrow it down to the Vanderbilt Mansion hike — I had no idea then, but Joe asked my siblings to gently steer me there as that’s where he wanted to ask me. Joe thought if he was too prescriptive about the hike, I would catch on and it would give away the surprise. His plan certainly worked, as I had no idea what was about to happen…

Joe, Andrew, Christina, and I made it to the Vanderbilt Estate and started walking on the trail. I remember everyone was pretty quiet on the hike, but I didn’t think anything of it. Looking back, everyone (especially Joe) was incredibly nervous. Personally, I was in my own head thinking about my chat with Andrew that morning. We made it to a viewpoint along the Hudson River, and Joe asked my sister to take a photo of us.

And then he got down on one knee…and in about 0.2 seconds I realized what was happening. I can’t describe the excitement I felt, and I honestly kind of blacked out from the rush of emotions. Finally, I said yes!

The moments that followed were such a rush. We were all so excited, and Joe sighed a breath of relief… Joe absolutely nailed the proposal — he got so many elements just right, and it felt true to us. I can’t emphasize enough how much the surprise element made this so special. All the events of that day threw me off, and getting engaged was honestly the last thing I expected to happen. Also, the ring was just BEAUTIFUL!! Joe absolutely nailed the selection.

I felt so grateful Joe asked my siblings to be a part of this experience. They were so invested in carrying out Joe’s vision and making this special for me. I’m also forever grateful Joe chose to anchor this experience in my hometown in a beautiful spot along the Hudson River. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my hometown and its beauty.

Afterward, we headed to Eveready Diner for a celebration lunch. I grew up going to this diner, and in recent years, it became popular after being featured in Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. It was the perfect place to celebrate immediately after the proposal. ❤

We also celebrated with caviar and champagne at home, compliments of my brother. I felt so special knowing my family was behind this and thought of these unique touches. ❤

The last few days, I’ve been on cloud nine, and I’m so excited to end the year being engaged. This year was all about rebuilding our lives after our gap years, and it feels so good to end on such a high note. Now we have the rest of our lives to look forward to. ❤