After my first semester at NYU, I knew I wanted to join an ensemble that didn't involve me playing flute. I attended a concert of NYU STEEL and decided that was it! Steel drums, here I come. Next semester, I joined the ensemble. I was already friends with a couple of percussionists in the group, who later introduced me to Brandon (a good, firm handshake and a big smile is hard to forget). Several months of friendly passings ensued, many of which involved me thinking he was from Vermont (Vegas/Vermont...same difference). I always saw him as just another guy in NYU STEEL. May rolled around and my birthday was right around the corner. Brandon and I had chatted about desserts and I mentioned that I loved red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. I was working at a bakery at the time and thought this was just topical conversation. A couple of days before my birthday, Brandon asked what my plans were. Since I already had a joint celebration with my fellow Spring-baby roommates AND I had a final on my birthday (*cue eye roll*), I told him, "nothing really." This was not an acceptable answer. Brandon insisted that I needed to do something(!) for my birthday. In order to respect any last minute plans I might muster up on the day, he asked to meet me at the percussion penthouse for a small surprise the day before my birthday. I agreed. On my way to the penthouse, I ran into Brandon on the stairs. Now folks, I don't know what it was, but when I looked into his eyes in that moment, I could feel a switch flip inside me. I sat and waited patiently (and now nervous - what the heck subconscious!) for Brandon to come back with whatever it was he wanted to give me. Lo and behold, it was a Sprinkles red velvet cupcake. This proved to be the first of many instances where Brandon would remember something sentimental to surprise me with. The little voice inside my head was screaming at me, "If you let him get away, you're an idiot!" So I asked the love of my life to lunch.

We were in her home state of Indiana. I had already asked her parents for their blessing and Susan still knew nothing of the plan. Now came the tricky part, I had not fully planned out where and when I would ask her because I had only received the custom made ring a few days before we left for Indiana. Her mom helped me decide, in a weird patriotic turn, to ask her on July 4th when we would be by ourselves in Indianapolis. Since the first "present" I gave her was a Sprinkles cupcake, I decided to put the ring inside an empty Sprinkles box. We had dinner together and all the while I kept telling her that "It was a surprise treat for the fireworks show later". We kept moving spots because I could not find a spot where we weren't around a ton of people (not to mention it started raining). That's when we found a little alcove beside an apartment building a few blocks from the main fireworks place. This was the spot! So while rain was drenching us and fireworks boomed around us, I got down on one knee and asked my eternal love to marry me...on New York Street (+1 for irony).