Our adventure begins!

It was a cool Thursday evening in September and the unique ambiance of Kilroy's on Kirkwood was calling. Mark and his friends were there for the $3 T-shirts and Long Islands, while Alison and classmates were celebrating their weekly "Bar Review". After a couple of those Long Islands, Mark and his friend Mike T decided to take a stroll and make new friends. Mike (a dual MBA and law student) recognized Alison and her roommate Erika from across the bar. After some persuasion by Mark, the duo approached the young ladies with their best openers. Now in close proximity, Mark was instantly stunned by Alison's beauty and dazzling blue eyes, but managed to uphold his end of a conversation ranging from Vienna, boat days and career aspirations. Unfortunately, Mike and Erika's conversation fizzled out more quickly, at which point Erika pulled Alison away and headed for the outdoor patio. If not for Mark's persistence and determination, this may have been the end. Mark took a brief time out for a restroom break, while out on the patio Alison was telling Erika that her and Mark had been having a good conversation and she liked that he had nice eyes. Not to be dismayed, Mark casually made a loop around the back patio noticing where the girls had relocated, but first checking in with his friends. A few minutes later, he conveniently passed nearby the girls when Erika, in an attempt to redeem herself, loudly called for Mark to come join them. The two spent the remainder of the evening engrossed in conversation. Mark knew then that Alison was someone special.

Mark knew he wanted a blessing from Alison's dad before proposing, but the logistics would be challenging. Mark and Alison would be in LA for Christmas, but when would he get a chance for a 1:1 conversation of such magnitude? Fortunately, Alison needed a new phone so Mark suggested he and her dad grab a beer while she picked one out. Alison didn't suspect a thing, but her dad did. After about 15 minutes, not knowing how long they had, Mark made a hard pivot in the conversation. He started telling her dad how wonderful Alison is and how she makes every day better (getting a little choked up along the way). He gave his approval and the pieces were coming together. After several weeks or researching rings and exchanging text messages with Alison's sister, Mark had everything he needed to make the move. Using an Indiana basketball game as an excuse to return to Bloomington, Mark planned to pop the question in front of the Sample Gates on campus. In his head it was perfect. A spring day in front of a scenic location with a lot of people around to ask to take a picture without raising suspicion. Heavy rain was in the forecast that day. It was cold and gray. After leaving breakfast at Village Deli, they noticed few students, or anybody, walking around campus. It was Spring Break. No one was standing near the Sample Gates. To gather his thoughts, Mark suggested taking a walk through campus. Alison wondered why considering it was cold and could rain at any moment. After making a loop through the woods, Mark suggested going back to the Sample Gates for a picture. Alison wondered why considering it was cold and could rain at any moment... After several agonizing minutes of waiting for someone to walk by to take a picture, a student finally emerged from the nearby Media School. Mark told her "Feel free to take a lot of pictures, you'll understand why in a minute."