Ekim and I met the old-fashioned way, at a bar. On a karaoke night, no less. Ekim caught my eye the moment he walked in – probably because he was wearing a suit at the P&H dive bar. I watched him make his way from table to table, introducing himself as he went. Finally, he stopped at our table and he met my friends, Grace and Bob, and me. Eventually, my friends admitted they did not want to sing karaoke that night. So, I worked up the courage to ask the then stranger, Ekim, to sing “I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher with me. We probably waited two hours for them to call us on stage, but we used the time to get to know one another. Finally, it was our turn, and we fumbled our way through the karaoke lyrics together. However, even after that pitiful performance, he asked me out on a second date.

A year and a half of dating and six months of planning led to our trip to Turkey. After meeting his grandmother in Kuşadası, relaxing in Çeşme with Erim and Selden, and touring İstanbul with Eser, we finally made it to Cappadocia – a region known for its cone-shaped rock formations. As we settled into our cave hotel room, Ekim and I reflected on the trip so far. After telling him how much I loved Turkey and traveling with him, Ekim looked into my eyes and asked, “Will you marry me?”