It started with a message. Michele was looking to support a mutual friend and wanted to know if Nicholas would attend the event. Anyone who knows the bride-to-be knows that she absolutely hates driving long distances. And so, Nicholas and Michele decided to talk on the phone and meet in person prior to moving forward with any plans. Fast forward to meeting at Starbucks. The night went better than expected. Nicholas and Michele closed out the place and both left knowing that this experience was uniquely different. Years of adventures ensued (with a great deal of driving). And the rest, as they say, is history.

Michele always joked that she and Nicholas would be the type to get engaged on a hike. What she didnt expect was to be proposed to on the terminus of the Appalachian Trail at 5267 feet. The two started hiking the Abol Trail of Katahdin at one in the morning. Michele was unimpressed with the alpine start, but Nicholas was, of course, eager. They pressed on the “easy trail,” which took them up the slide side of the mountain. Much rocks, boulders, and near-slips later (by Michele, not Nicholas), the two arrived at the socked in summit. Soon they were surrounded by clouds that were lit by the dim glow of sunrise. Two other hikers were on the summit, waiting for the clouds to clear. After a short rest, Nicholas asked Michele to check out the view from a rock. He got down on knee. She cried (a lot) as he asked a very specific question. She nodded emphatically in response. At times, even the writer is at a loss for words. And those two hikers? They were there to capture the moment. It was planned all along.