Come celebrate the start of our new adventure!

We met in anesthesia school in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on my first day. Bruce was in the class one year ahead, and he was in charge of overseeing the welcome lunch for the new students. I was the first one in line and I was a little overzealous getting my leafy greens. I broke the salad tongs in half, to which he said, "Damn girl! Are you that hungry?". The most embarrassing introduction that could happen, lol. I must have made a lasting impression though, because here we are. Apparently, Bruce likes a girl that can eat!

So, my original plan was to pop the question at midnight on New Years Eve 2020, just a small private moment at home. Life, of course, had other ideas. As luck would have it, we were both assigned 12 hour shifts at the hospital. We got home that night, had dinner, cuddled with our pups on the couch, and then Kameko went to go take a "nap" before midnight hit. Anyone who knows Kameko knows that her "naps" are never naps. Well, midnight came and went, and it was just me and the ring. I closed the box in frustration and returned it to the most obvious hiding spot, the sock drawer, and went to bed. Kameko couldn't understand why I was so disappointed the next day, lol. I went back to the drawing board and came up with an even better plan. I decided that I would propose when she would least expect it. We had a fantastic trip planned for my birthday to Maui, Hawaii. But I was missing an important piece of the puzzle. I needed someway to document this moment since I couldn't invite family and friends to this historic event in our lives. I remembered that we had friend/coworker who happens to be an phenomenal photographer, Samantha Stoner. I recruited her to document the whole thing. We scoped out the location at the Gainesville Airport and walked out the steps to set up the perfect shots and found a place for her to hide. The only other person who knew was our friend and now matron of honor, Mikayla. She was in charge of getting Kameko's nails prepared for photos and she completed her mission without raising any suspicions. The morning we flew out, I somehow convinced Kameko that we needed to be at the airport 3 hours early! (For context this airport only has 5 gates total) We checked in for our flights and headed towards security, with Samantha strategically hidden behind the airport gift tables. I let Kameko go ahead of me and then pretended that I forgot something, patting my pockets and acting discombobulated. She turned around right on cue, very concerned that we would have to make a return trip home. My acting skills from my musical theatre degree really came in handy because she later told me that she thought I had forgotten my wallet that she just saw me present at check in. Right before we reached the security check point I swung my backpack to the floor and knelt down, pretending to search for the mysterious missing item. She even offered to help me search. Then I pulled out the ring, and after a short speech, which I know she doesn't remember, I asked her to be my adventure partner for life. Of course, she said YES!!! We then spent an hour or so (hence getting there early) doing a photo shoot in the airport before grabbing some breakfast and commencing an amazing trip to The Valley Isle. I guess the second laid plans are the best.