August 30, 2017 began just like any other day in Santa Monica. The palm trees swayed, courtesy of the crisp ocean breeze. The sunset, a glorious pink haze, similar to the cover of Washed Out’s purple noon album. Jason jumped into an uber, heading east to The Troubadour to see one of his favorite bands, Joywave. On the other side of LA, Monica embarked on a nice long run through Hollywood. Little did these two know, they were on a collision course with mother fate herself. Outside The Troubadour, anchored by their mutual friend Molly, an impromptu introduction was fostered. I bet you’re thinking you’ve heard this story before, but this isn’t the movies, and this plot isn’t predictable. Greetings were shared, but unfortunately numbers were not.. As the story goes, it wasn’t until 2 months later that serendipity would strike again. This time on Halloween weekend. After some encouragement from her hair stylist to go hit the town, Monica decided to meet up with her friend Molly in Silverlake, unaware that Molly was accompanied by Jason. Jason had attended a drone photography seminar earlier that day and decided to meet up with Molly since he was in the area (forgoing the five o’clock traffic jam that surely awaited him back to Santa Monica in the process). It appears mother fate would have her way on the second attempt. Monica and Jason were connected again, this time engaging in a lengthy conversation.  Sipping a ‘coastline’ on the outdoor patio at Café Stella, the chemistry was clear. So much so, that the newfound duo decided to tackle Halloween together, dressed as Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris the very next day. Countless dates and concerts later, on the beach outside the Venice Whaler.. the 3 famous words were officially shared: “I love you.” Shoutout to the $9 bottle of Velvet Devil merlot and Reese’s peanut butter cups for the assist. I’d like to say the rest is history, but the truth is it’s still being written..

The night before every vacation, Monica and Jason usually attend a concert. Not the most strategic approach, but for these two it works, often times providing an easy on-ramp to vacation mode. On August 18, 2019, as they ubered to the Greek Theatre to see Kacey Musgraves and Poolside, Jason did his best to deflect. You see, tomorrow, they would be heading to Bali for a 2-week vacation. Any and everyone close to Monica believed a proposal was inevitable. Monica shared this news with Jason who, feeling cornered, proclaimed: “I’m not so sure about marriage, I mean which couples do you know that are happily married?” In reality, Jason knew he was going to propose. He had spent the summer customizing the ring and plotting every last detail of the proposal. On the flight, Monica decided Jason’s perspective was startling to say the least. She then decided at 4,000 feet altitude, it was the perfect place for a conversation. Tears in her eyes, Monica questioned Jason who up until this point believed Monica knew a proposal was coming. It was a success; Jason’s deflection worked, successfully leaving Monica in the dark. Where she had to stay for several more days. Alright folks, I know this sounds harsh, but look desperate times call for desperate measures. Before you start shooting arrows at Jason, consider this. Monica claims to have never lost a game of Clue and Jason was convinced that she saw him ring shopping just a few months back. On top of that, Jason thought she saw a conversation between him and her Dad, Doug around the time he asked for permission. Onto the fun part…

Monica and Jason cruised their way through Bali, enjoying all the sightseeing, beaches, and food you can imagine. Two days before the proposal while transferring hotels, a driver abandoned Monica and Jason at Balangan Beach. Jason had left the ring in his backpack inside the trunk of the driver’s car. In what felt like a nightmare, the driver thankfully reemerged with all of their belongings, allowing Jason’s heart to stop from exploding.

While staying at Six Senses Uluwatu, Jason secretly reserved a private bungalow at Sundays Beach Club for the proposal. Monica literally couldn't believe it, and questioned the staff multiple times about whether they were in the right spot. The two were treated to champagne and massages atop their beachfront villa that overlooked the Indian Ocean. A couple of ocean dips later, the time had finally come. Jason asked Monica to take a walk, but not just any walk. In front of the resort guests, Jason dropped to his knee much to Monica’s surprise. I won’t share exactly what was said, but after letting out a few incomprehensible sounds, she said YES! Mission complete! As the two enjoyed dinner amidst a gorgeous sunset, they reflected on their action-packed journey. It felt like just yesterday, that they first met outside The Troubadour at the Joywave concert. When was that concert Monica asked? Jason googled it only to find out, that it was exactly 2 years ago TO THE DAY, August 30, 2017. Jason had planned every detail of this day, but admittedly not this one. I suppose mother fate wanted to put a cherry atop her story. :)