are you joking?!

About 5 years ago, Andrew and Nina both went out with their friends to the bar on a Friday Night. Through conversation, they learned that they both went to College for Architecture. Immediately, this was the spark that started it all. As the night continued they did a dance battle with their friends, learned that Andrew worked with Nina's cousin, shared their passion for architecture and eventually Andrew asked Nina out on a date. At the end of the night....they shared their first meal together...Qdoba. That queso! xoxo

In August of 2018, we had planned a vacation to Peru with the ultimate goal of viewing Machu Picchu. I (Andrew) have always wanted to propose to Nina on top of a mountain; so during the months of planning, I knew that this was going to be THE moment. Prior to the trip, I had a difficult time strategizing of how to keep this a secret so that she would be completely surprised. The key was to wait until the day we departed to ask Robert & Joan for their approval. It turns out that my instincts of their loose lips were correct... because they let the secret slip days later (even before the proposal!?!). Thankfully, Nina and I were already in Lima and far from gossip. Here, we took in the culture and beauty of the coastal city before departing to Cusco nestled in the Andes mountains. Other than the plane ride from Lima to Cusco, our main mode of transportation was taxi, for which not many of the drivers spoke English. Needless to say, carrying a brand new shiny diamond ring in my backpack was quite nerve-racking. After spending two incredible days in Cusco, we arranged a 3 hour taxi tour that snaked through the mountains, all the while stopping at Incan ruins and Peruvian villages. This led us to the mountain village of Ollantaytambo, the final stop before the train ride to Machu Picchu. We spent the night here in the most awe-inspiring traditional Peruvian hotel, El Albergue. Bright and early in the morning, we rode the two hour, romantic train ride through the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientas at the base of Machu Picchu. Here it was, the day that I am going to propose to the woman of my dreams. Even though I was positive that she would say 'yes', I was still a nervous wreck. She of course noticed this and said, "Are you OK? You're acting weird." With the ring now in my pocket, I brushed this off as just being hungry. Upon arrival, meeting our tour guide for the day, and a harrowing bus ride up to Machu Picchu, it was finally time to start the rest of my life.