We met through a mutual friend the summer after freshman year, but nothing came of it (besides becoming friends on Facebook). Four years later, almost to the day, that same friend organized a trip to the Hamptons--that's where we met for the second time. Mike had been living in Chicago and then Stamford, but was moving to New York City in a couple of weeks. The timing was right and we hit it off instantly. Two weeks later we went on our first date--and the rest, as they say, is history.

Mike planned to take me away for my birthday. We were going to go to Cold Springs for the day & night to get out of the city for 36 hours. The morning before we left, I sleepily mumbled under my breathe that his heart was beating really fast; besides that though, the morning was normal. We went to the gym, packed up, and were on our way. When we got to town, I insisted on getting lunch. Mike had planned for us to go for a hike, but by the time we finished eating, I felt it was too late. He quickly thought up a Plan B--taking me to State Park, where a woodsy path eventually lead to a clearing along the shores of the Hudson. It was mid-October, but the sun was beaming. We sat on rocks enjoying the sound of the small waves rolling onto the shores near our toes. At one point, everyone cleared and it was just us and the woods around us. I noticed Mike's heart was beating fast again, but before I could say anything, he got up to give me my birthday card. The card was sweet and sentimental, as Mike's cards tend to be, and it ended with "now look up". When I did, he got down on one knee and asked me to be his forever.