If you ask Wes, he'll tell you it's my fault we didn't meet sooner. And he's not wrong. But all things considered I'd say it turned out pretty well. We met online (where else do you meet people after you turn 30)? Wes messaged me on Match in March 2017, and I still remember reading his profile. Likes traveling? Check. Seeks out great coffee and bourbon? Check, check. Enjoys working on houses and building furniture?? BINGO. Alas, I was only a couple months out of my last relationship, and just didn't really feel ready to start again. Fast forward to August 2017, when I came across Wes on Bumble (the one where the girl has to message first). I remembered his profile from Match, and feeling interested all those months ago. I have no idea what I said, but apparently it was good.

I thought maybe he'd propose on my birthday, in June. He didn't. As fall crept in I assumed I had been wrong - maybe he wasn't ready. But then one morning in late September, we were getting ready to fly to Seattle to visit Wes' friends. Wes walked down to the little shop at the end of our street to get us breakfast sandwiches. When he got back I was standing at the kitchen table cleaning out my back pack. He puttered around for a minute, and then said from across the kitchen, "what would you say if I told you I wanted to take trips with you forever"? I had my back to him. I literally had my hands full of receipts, loose change and tampons. I didn't get it yet. I think I said something like "well that was sweet Wes, thank you." So he walked up behind me, put his arms around me, and pulled a ring out of his left pocket. "Would you?" I cried. He cried. Don't worry, at some point I made him get down on one knee. A girl only gets one of these you know, better make it official. I made him ask me three more times that morning. I just liked hearing it. We had a bourbon at 8:45am, because why not. Then we got on the plane, the sun hit my brand new sparkly ring for the first time, and sent a spray of rainbow sparkles all over the ceiling. And then I annoyed everyone around me for the next 3 hours.