We met at work, of all places. I started working at Accenture two years after Taylor, so he had already climbed the ladder several times. We had been "making eyes" at each other for weeks, and after finally adding each other as Facebook friends, we spoke. It's important to note that I made all of the first moves here. Taylor was trying to duck out of the office early, and I was reading a book in the small library when I noticed him leaving. Without thinking, I called out to him, "Hey!". He turned around, and I said, "Come here," still sitting in my chair. He walked over to me with a confused but delighted look. I stuck my hand out for a handshake and said, "Hi, I'm Chelsey," with a grin. I was still sitting in my chair. Neither one of us remember the words spoken next. I think we both blacked out. The next thing I knew, Taylor asked for my phone, put his number in my contacts, and said, "Text me," then walked away with a little more pep in his step. I thought to myself, this guy is cool, charming, and he has a personality!!! I felt the butterflies in my stomach more than anything, though. Two days later, we went on our first date. Five weeks later, we are on a plane to Seattle for a weekend trip. The trip was Taylor's idea. He said, "You really get to know someone by how they travel." I remember thinking, "Ok, I'm going to fall in love with this guy," and I sure did!

Attempt #1 My first plan was to propose to Chelsey on the beach. My parents rented a condo in Navarre for a few days and invited us to join them; perfect! It was all lined up. My mom had assembled two large boxes of decorations and candles to help me prep the proposal spot. Even better, because she was bringing the supplies, I didn’t have to worry about Chelsey catching on. All I had left to do was to get us in the car at 3 am and make the 12-hour drive to Navarre. The morning of, I woke up on time, and we hit the road. I put on a podcast, and Chelsey quickly went back to sleep. Several podcasts later, around 6 am, I was running through the plan in my mind, and my gut sank. I forgot the ring. My mother was not thrilled. Attempt #2 (Success) Plan number two came about after Chelsey, and I decided to take a trip to the UK. We’d fly into London but spend most of our time in Scotland. Out of our itinerary, the two-night stay on the Isle of Skye seemed ideal. I schemed with our tour guide about possible locations, and we settled on a scenic outcrop with a lighthouse. Unfortunately, once on Skye, we learned that winds were over 60 knots and the location would be inaccessible. Thankfully I had a backup. The village we stayed in, Portree, had a large hill with a winding trail that led to the top. A tip from a local ensured that, while it didn’t have the most romantic name (The Lump), it would be the perfect spot for what I wanted. Chelsey and I had dinner by the docks our last evening there, and afterward, I invited her to take a walk with me. We made our way slowly up the trail, and as we rounded the final corner, we were hit with panoramic views of the harbor, the town, and some of Skye’s famous mountain ranges. While Chelsey was taking in the view, I got down on my knee and asked her if she would marry me.