We’re getting married!

Melony’s Story: I tagged along with a couple of friends to Comic Con since I have never been. Outisde of the convention center there were numerous vendors promoting products like video games, shows, movies, etc. After my friends and I ate lunch we gravitated to a nearby booth promoting Sharknado and saw they were giving away shirts. There were signs that indicated all people had to do was post something about Sharknado on their social media in order to get a shirt. I was immediately discouraged as I did not have social media at the time but I was determined to get a shirt. So… I went over to a person that worked at the booth and made small talk. We introduced ourselves and I told him about my dilemma of not having social media to promote Sharknado. He gave me a shirt anyway (easy peasy 😏). I returned to my friends and showed me their posts; they decided not to get a shirt when they saw how long the line got. I told them, “I got this” and went back over to Matthias; I explained to him that my friends actually posted on their social media and would like a shirt. He gave them shirts and we left. I kept looking back toward his direction and asked my friends if they thought he was cute. They agreed and I went back. He saw me and gave me a bag of sour shark gummies and stated he had nothing else to give me. I laughed. He complimented my smile. He asked if I visited LA often and I lied and said yes. He then asked for my phone number… I lied again and said my phone had died. I really did not want to be the one to initiate contact. He gave me his phone and I entered my contact information. He text messaged me that night. We talked for a few months before he visited me in Bakersfield.

Matthias’ Story: Let's begin by saying, "Never travel across the world with an engagement ring in your coat pocket". Hours before taking the 2.5 hour drive from Bakersfield to LAX, I was trying to figure out how to travel with an engagement ring without Melony noticing. I did not want to pack it, in my carryon bag, with my clothes. So, I decided to keep it inside of my army green Levi's jacket. However, while checking into the airport, I realized that may not have been the greatest idea. I had to take off my jacket multiple times and hold it in ways a jacket should not be held. There was a moment where I was juggling too many items in my hand and Mel offered to help and tried to grab my jacket. She may not remember, but let's just say I was extremely protective of my jacket. We arrived to London and spent a few days exploring the city. Finally, the Yes Day had arrived and we were in our Airbnb, in Ireland. We woke up early and grabbed a few pastries, coffee, and snacks for the 3 hour road trip to the Cliffs of Moher. It's a beautiful drive in the countryside. Driving with the steering wheel on the right side took some getting use to. A few times I thought that we were not going to make it to the Cliffs of Moher and I'm about to pull over on the side of the road and propose! We arrived to the Cliffs and photos do not do it justice. It's breathtaking. Now, it's real. Its About to Go Down (Kevin Hart voice). We walked around for an hour or so. I was a bit nervous and tried to figure out the perfect time. Then I realized, there was no perfect time. I had to create the moment and just do it. So, two young ladies walked by and it’s just us. No big crowd. I say, "Hey, do you mind taking a photo of us?" My heart is beating so fast. As they are taking the photo, Mel turns her head for a moment...then I drop to one knee. I waited a bit, because the two young ladies were going crazy with excitement in the background. I ask, "Will you marry me?" She replied, "...YES!"