It was a rainy March afternoon as Jayde exited her DC apartment desperate to find a cab. She tried the trending app Uber to then discover the driver had made a wrong turn and was headed towards Virginia, causing another 15 minute delay. She would be late to her training downtown, so in true logical fashion, she walked to the neighboring hotel in an attempt to act as a guest in need of a taxi. There, she saw a young, dapper man (in uniform) waiting underneath the awning. He greeted her with a warm and inviting smile, offering his assistance. Jayde explained she was in need of cab, so he graciously walked up the block, in the pouring rain, to see if he could hail one, but to no avail. They stood underneath the awning, making casual small talk, realizing they had a lot in common. Tevin had recently seen a concert with Nas and the Symphonic Orchestra, and their love for music led to a conversation about other upcoming local events. As time passed, they realized no cabs were available and Jayde was running late for the training. Tevin decided to call one of the hotel's drivers. The black car pulled up in front of the hotel, but before she left, he told her to take his number and let him know of the next event her company was hosting, which she did. Jayde hopped in the cab and arrived to her destination just in time. She did not notice a meter, nor did she have cash, so she was worried she would not be able to pay for the ride. She asked how much, but then the driver turned to her and said "Don't worry, it has been taken care of." She smiled and the rest was history.

To celebrate our four year anniversary and Jayde's birthday, we ventured to Cartagena, Colombia, which turned out being one of our best trips to date. We spent the first two days in beautiful Bocagrande, exploring the local culture and indulging in typical Colombian dishes. During our stay, we took The Real Cartagena tour and learned about the rich Afro-Colombian heritage. It was truly an inspiring excursion that opened our eyes to the diversity and history of Colombia. While on the tour, we met a wonderful couple from Florida (at the time they had no idea they would be a part of the proposal). The next day (May 8, 2018), we decided to walk around the Walled City - Old Cartagena with no real plan other than to try as many restaurants and bars as we could before catching the sunset at Cafe del Mar. The couple we met was going to meet us at the cafe for drinks (at least that was what Jayde thought). Cafe del Mar sits atop the western wall and has breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea and Cartagena. The couple had made it just in time to catch the sunset. I beckoned for Jayde to take a photo with me in front of the sunset, knowing this would be the perfect moment. There was a small line forming to take photos (prime spot in front of the sunset) and the couple in front of us turned to Jayde and asked if she could take their photo. She obliged, but to her surprise the man got down on one knee and proposed. Nervously, I turned to Jayde and she gave me a look as she feverishly took photos trying to capture the moment. After the couple finished, the patrons behind us all cheered and clapped. Jayde turned to me and said this is going to be a hard act to follow, but little did she know... As we posed for the photo, I turned to her and started expressing my love and how I could not imagine spending all of these moments without her. I got down on one knee and she said yes (cues more applause and cheer)!