30 years in the making

We both studied at Eastern Nazarene College and were there for 3 years at the same time. Everybody knows everybody at ENC and we were no exception. We had at least one class together that we remember. We were acquaintances and had a lot of the same friends. Neither of us remember where or how we met but we know there were conversations. I never forgot his sweet face and he never forgot my smile or laugh. I had such a crush on him! I thought he was into me too, so much so that in my "senior will" in the school newspaper, I "left" him a policy that required him to go to ALL his classes and enough guts to ask me out. 27 years later and he finally did!

We got engaged on Saturday, February 13. Here is how it happened: On Thursday evening, I flew to Rochester from my Indiana home. Kristin picked me up at the airport that night and first thing the next morning we were off to our secret destination. Nearly 7 hours later, we arrived in Quincy, MA; the place we first met. My idea for the weekend was to do the things we would have done if we had dated back at ENC. On Friday, we rode the T downtown to walk around, shop and go to dinner. We ate at the Union Oyster House on Union St. in Boston. Once back in Quincy, we drove to campus and walked around sharing memories and re-living our time spent there. We purchased a few mementos at the bookstore, strolled through the student center and then were graciously asked by security to leave campus. We didn't know we were there during a peak COVID quarantine! For the first time since we graced ENC in the early nineties, we were "townies". The next morning, after breakfast, we returned to campus. I had special plans for our morning. We found a secluded spot between Wolly church and Angell Hall where I asked Kristin for her hand in marriage. I presented Kristin with a book I had made for her entitled, "When You Know, You Know", telling her all the reasons why I love her and couldn't wait to marry her. The last page said, "I just have one question..." I took off my sweatshirt revealing a t-shirt I had made that said "Will you marry me?" I took out the ring, got down on one knee and proposed. She said yes, obviously. Our journey toward September 5th had begun.