Who would have thought that in all of the cities and all of the towns that we would meet in Fort Polk, Louisiana. We both went out as a favor to our friends. Asha from her colleagues at work, and Paco who had a group of visiting Fraternity brothers in the area.  Neither had any intention of looking to meet anyone, as Asha was “on-call” and Paco had just returned from the “field.” Immediately Asha caught the eye of Paco as her natural beauty and confidence made her stand out.  Paco patiently waited for the right moment to approach, as she had such an aura about her.  That moment came when it appeared that Asha was caught in a conversation that she wasn’t enjoying.  The gentleman turned around to speak to a friend, and by the time he turned around again, Paco and Asha were engaged in the perfect mix of conversation and laughter, a moment both would playfully refer to as “The Rescue.” From the moment they started speaking, they haven’t been apart since.

Paco planned a trip to Europe that coincided with his trip completing his Master’s degree, for a field study in Spain. He designed Asha’s ring in the Diamond District of NYC.  Everything was going perfectly until the jeweler said the ring would be ready for pick up on Saturday.  The problem… Paco left for Europe on Friday. So, he decided to craft a story that he was going to have a box delivered to Asha that contained a vital portion of his coursework necessary to prevent him from failing to obtain his Masters. The two planned to meet in Casablanca because of its proximity to Spain, then head to Paris. Knowing that Paris is the City of Love, Paco felt it was still too cliché. Asha got the package in time to bring it on her flight, as Paco was already in Europe. Asha carried it through a long layover in Portugal, then to Casablanca. While exploring, Asha was enjoying herself while Paco tried to mask his fears of being robbed. He was also searching for the perfect location to propose.  He found it on the coast next to the renowned Grande Mosquée Hassan II.   Having discovered the place, they returned to the hotel to rest with a plan to watch the sunset from the same location that night.  When they returned, Paco set up the camera under the guise of wanting to catch the sunset.  But alas, the moment was not captured on camera because the batteries ran out.. Paco says it was because he didn’t want to interrupt Asha as she talked about all of the crepes that awaited them in Paris (Picture Bubba describing all of the ways to cook shrimp to Forrest Gump).  Asha’s version is that the big bad combat-tested U.S. Army Airborne Ranger was too scared to make his move in a timely fashion because he was “nervous.” While the moment was not captured on video the two agree that it could not have been better for two people that are absolutely right for each other.    And who would have thought she would play such a large part in her surprise proposal by carrying her own ring!