We’re Married!

While living together at the beach in Florida, Megan and I shared an appreciation for the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico. We had frequently discussed marriage and our future, but I wasn't sure when that would be. I've always been one to move off of a gut instinct, though, so instead of waiting for the pandemic to end, I decided to make a move, and a remote tropical island felt like the perfect spot. It took some convincing to get her on board for a trip to the Dry Tortugas, some seventy miles off of the shores of Key West. She was less enthused than I had hoped, reasoning that the excursion would take an entire day of our trip. Only issue: I couldn't take no for an answer. If you haven't heard of Dry Tortugas National Park, you're not alone; the park gets less than 50,000 visitors per year (compared to Great Smoky Mountains NP, with 12.1 million annually). Just getting there is a challenge, with only one commercial boat and one seaplane available to book for the trip, so I had to secure our tickets early...

I thought my plan was foolproof. We boarded our ship, and it hit me. I had no earthly clue how I was going to do this... It's 80 degrees outside, we're further South than the southernmost point in the upper 48, and I had been storing the ring box inside of a rolled up pair of hiking socks (???). Anyways, we're on the boat seated across from each other. I've got my hiking socks (see: ring) and a windbreaker/fanny pack in my bag. I had to wait until Megan fell asleep to transfer the ring box into my fanny pack under the table, which I'm sure was very discrete. It's not perfect, but it will do. Pro tip: ring boxes are bigger than you think. If you're trying to conceal one, go find a slim box on Amazon. After walking with the guided tour of Fort Jefferson for a twenty-or-so minutes, we went on our own up to the second level to explore. We found unbelievable views around every corner, but I was getting anxious and wanted to get up to the roof to pop the question. I'm glad I was able to keep her up there long enough to call this plan a success. Fort Jefferson is a Civil War era fort that takes hurricane force winds many times per year; it is justifiably a little beat up. So we're 45 feet up with just some light pig paths amongst the grass, no guard rails to speak of, and wind that would not quit. Megan walked the roof with me for about 5 minutes before she wanted to get down. In a pinch I was able to flag down a younger couple to take both a video and photos of the big Q! Megan asked if I wanted to take off my fanny pack (ring), but I insisted you couldn't even see it in the photo, only to take it off/remove the ring from it less than ten seconds later when I got on one knee and asked Megan to marry me. We spent the rest of the afternoon serenading around the park and snorkeling the moat walls before a boozy boat ride back to Key West. That was a day that I can never forget, and I'm thrilled to celebrate our marriage with all of you.