After 10 years, we're finally getting married!

I was back working as a fry cook at Joey’s for the Summer at the tail-end of my year off from university. One day this shorty came in for her first day of work and right off the bat I was into her. From that moment on I was generally looking for any excuse to talk to her; she was on the register, so that mostly meant repeated trips for cups of water up front. Eventually Joey caught on. He started by giving me more busy work, but it was never enough. On one particularly irritable day Joey sent me home early after catching us chatting up front. Finally, he moved me from the beach location over to the pool shack. After that, Steph would occasionally swing by during the day, and I’d usually swing by the beach after my shift at the pool. After enough small talk, eventually I overcame my introverted nature to ask her out to dinner. Steph wrote her number down on a Post-it note which is still in my wallet nine years later.

We met at Compo's "food shack" named Joey's at the time. Ryan liked water and would find any excuse to drink it - not realizing he was trying to flirt with me. Despite both of our awkwardness, I thought Ryan was really nice and cute and ended up wanting to know him better. So, I asked my friend Holly - who got me the job at Joey's - to tell me more about him, and she ended up pushing the two of us to go out. At some point the owner caught on that Ryan liked me, and moved him from the beach to the pool shack, which Holly managed. I often made excuses to go to the pool to "see Holly" before or after my shifts (I love you Holly & I did want to see you - but also Ryan was cute and wanted to see him). In one of the instances, Ryan slightly cut his thumb and needed to go to the first aid station. Holly insisted I needed to walk with Ryan to first aid, even though it was about 20 yards away, saying "BUDDY SYSTEM, what if he passes out?!" (at that point I finally caught on to what she doing). In that very short walkover (which I blacked out due to anxiety -very on par, I know-) Ryan asked me on a date. We went on our date to Mediterraneo, where we both got Salmon and Ryan talked about his backpacking trip through Patagonia, thus *mostly* winning me over. What really sold me though, was one of my last nights closing Joey's in which I was cleaning the counter and a pigeon got in right before we closed all of the doors. I remember multiple people trying to catch it, and Ryan - I assume coming to see me at the beach after closing the pool - jumping from the front of the house, over the counter, to behind the counter (where I was), catching the pigeon. TRULY I was in awe and was sold on him (wouldn't you be though?). Years later, here we are, because of Holly, Joey's, & a pigeon.

I came out to Paris with Steph’s grandmother’s ring after she had wrapped up her study-abroad program. I had what I thought was a decent proposal plan: I’d scheduled a tour at Champagne Pommery, a Champagne house in Reims. Afterwards, there was a quaint little botanical garden nearby. I figured I’d drop the proposal there. The tour went smoothly; we stayed for some champagne and then after made our way over to the garden. It was closed. I’d failed to realize that early-Spring wasn’t peak park season in France. Panicking, I used what little cell service I had to take us on an elaborate route through what felt like just about every green area in Reims. Nothing was doing it for me. Little did I know Steph had come across the ring in my bag before we left. As I continued to take my sweet time with the impromptu walking tour, she was starting to get both hangry and anxious. After what must have been the tenth little park, an otherwise nice location but with the ponds drained (it was Spring), I called it quits and we stopped for bread. On the train back to Paris, Steph admitted she had found the ring in my bag. I still wanted it to be a surprise, so we agreed I’d find another time and privately I immediately started looking at locations in Paris. The start to the next tour went about the same. I was dragging Steph to locations that looked nice on paper under the pretext of a walk before dinner, but each one felt just a little off. Finally, I embraced the cliché and started leading us towards the Eiffel tower. On our way there, we happened across a nice private grove surrounded by cherry blossoms. I popped the question there. Steph says I still managed to surprise her, but I doubt it.

Ryan dragged me to a bunch of gardens before feeding me and I got cranky and cried. Ryan then found me food and I was content. While that is the jist, here is how I remember it: Ryan asked me to put a charger in his backpack before we left our hotel in Paris for Reims. While doing so I unfortunately chose the pocket Ryan had put the ring box in (since this was my grandma's ring & I had picked it up from my mom, I knew what it felt like). So, on all of the subway rides, I knew it was in his backpack and was very paranoid because of the pickpocketing. We got to Reim's and went straight to the private Champagne tour Ryan had booked, which was amazing and I think Ryan did a great job planning. While drinking our Champagne Ryan suggested we check out a garden nearby, I gladly obliged, assuming this is where he would propose. (I should mention this was in March, in France, which is still fairly cold, but to make matters worse it had been raining earlier that day, but cleared up by the time our tour was over). Anywho, the garden Ryan wanted to go to was closed for the season, and I could see him scrambling, trying not to be the sarcastic brat I am, I attempted to be positive as Ry googled other parks to visit. He then took me to what seemed like 10 parks/gardens, each time without getting a proposal, so I started to question if it was because of me, and my mood digressed, especially since I had not eaten all day. Ryan, seeing that my mood was shifting, brought me to a shopping area, in which I went to one of my favorite international stores and got an olive loaf (which I would go back for any day). Once I had food in me I was a lot happier, and cared a little less about us getting engaged, but also felt no reason to remain in Reims since it was cold and rainy (off and on) and wanted to return to Paris to get dinner and prepare for our flight the next day. Once we got to Paris we dropped our things off at our hotel, and went for a walk before dinner (which we had done every night, so I did not think he was going to propose anymore). Ryan and I walked around Paris as the sunset, talking about our futures (him going to grad school and me finishing up the first year of mine). We also discussed what we wanted our futures with each other to be like, and then Ryan suggested we stop at a bench in a park and sit. At this point, the sun had set and I was tired of walking, so I agreed. We could see the Eiffel Tower lit up in the distance and a small fenced garden with a Cherry Blossom tree directly in front of us. Ryan then asked "What are you thinking about" I responded, "I don't know, school, money, tuition". To which Ryan said, "Well I think I have something that can help with that". Unfortunately, I responded "What, did you win the lotto or something", then immediately turned my head and saw him pulling the box out of his pocket. He ignored my sarcastic comment, and asked me to marry him, opening the box, and dropping the ring. Thankfully we were wearing coats, and it got stuck in them, so after some digging, Ryan found it and held it. After what seemed like a minute, I asked "Well are you going to put it on??" and Ry responded with "Are you going to say yes?!?" After saying "Oops, yes!" Ryan put the ring on my finger, we kissed, and then celebrated with champagne, wine, olives (for me), bread, and lots of food at dinner. I would have been happy saying yes anywhere, even in front of dead trees, other people, etc., but Ryan did a magnificent job at choosing somewhere we would both love (and special props for not making it a public ordeal). Thank you, Ry, I love our story, it's very us, and wouldn't trade it (well, I might have made me less of a brat, but yeah, love you).