Susan and I crossed paths on a dating app called Plenty of Fish (POF). Her bio stood out to me; it was the most detailed and longest one I had come across. As I read through it, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was exactly the kind of man she was hoping for. She wanted someone who liked dogs, could help her learn to use some tools her dad had given her, and lived within a 50-mile radius. After doing a quick Google search, I confirmed it—her place was just 48 miles from mine. Perfect fit! We exchanged texts for a couple of days before finally getting on the phone, where I had no idea it would turn into a three-hour chat, but it was incredibly enjoyable. Our first date was set for dinner, and it was absolutely wonderful. By the end of the evening, I think we both recognized that we were meant to be together.
We headed on a long weekend getaway to Branson, MO, to celebrate my friend’s dad turning 90. I had this grand proposal planned for Saturday night at what I imagined would be a cozy Italian restaurant downtown. But when we arrived, my heart sank—the place was packed with families and bustling with noise. Just as I started to worry, we were quickly seated in a nice booth, and our waiter turned out to be fantastic. We savored each other’s company and even contemplated ice cream for dessert. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any, but the waiter suggested a local spot. Adventure called, and off we went! However, we never made it to the ice cream shop. On our way, we stumbled upon an amusement park. We had a blast racing go-karts and watched a family launch into the sky on one of those bungee swings, which we decided was a bit too daring for us. We wandered over to the Ferris wheel and discovered it was the same one from Navy Pier in Chicago, which was a fun twist. Right then, I decided this was the perfect spot for my proposal. The operator agreed to give us two full revolutions instead of one, especially after I mentioned our Chicago connection. As we reached the top of the second round, with Susan gazing out at the view, I seized the moment. I dropped to one knee, placed my hand on her leg, and when she turned around, ring in hand, I told her how much I loved her and how wonderful our time together had been. I asked her to marry me, and you can probably guess—it was a resounding yes!