Date: September 9, 2023 Location: Barcelona, Spain Tonight was the night I planned to propose to Karoline. After an afternoon siesta where all I could do was stay up and rehearse what to say, we headed out on the 30 min walk to a mystery reservation on the beach. Because every scenic place had been so busy, I was prepared to pop the question at any point along the way as long as it was cute and not crowded. We passed through Ciutadella Park where a violinist was playing "My Heart Will Go On". While it would have been great to incorporate that it was way too packed. We stopped at a pretty fountain and repeatedly took pictures. Karoline clearly didn't share my sense of urgency. While in the park, I spotted paddleboats in the water. Another great potential location. Alas, it was total chaos as boats were bumping into each other and we were pressed for time. Next, we passed a bird sanctuary with tons of parakeets. A nearby dad gave Karoline a couple sunflower seeds to feed them, and they ate the seeds right from her hand. I reused the empty shells to tempt one onto my hand, but the underhanded tactic had me wary of retribution. Luckily, no one was harmed in the feeding of the birds. At last, we reached the beach, my intended location and now my last hope. The sun was setting just as planned and there was a wide-open space of rocks waiting for us near the water. At 7:37 we carefully sat down and I began my proposal. Right from the start as I talked about what an easy decision this was, how lucky I am to be chosen by her, and how I will earn that every day, Karoline was tearing up, so I knew it was going well. I kneeled on the rock to propose and she said yes! Now it was time to celebrate at Arenal! We had cava, sangria and talked about telling our families the exciting news. Afterwards, we stepped in the Balearic Sea and picked up some rocks as keepsakes.