We do!

We met at a holiday party hosted by our mutual friends Liz and Stefano Fiori. I was catching up with my friend Josh and Mark was catching up with his friend, Elaine. I didn't know that Elaine was just a friend, I assumed that this handsome stranger was taken. Mark assumed I was with Josh as well. It wasn't until we found each other on the patio that we started talking and discovered we were both indeed single. Conversation was easy. We shared our interests and found many similarities. We are both active, love camping, cooking, hiking, and many other common interests. Toward the end of the night, he was ready to call an Uber. Seeing that we just met and I definitely wanted to see him again, I offered him a ride home. He accepted my offer and he asked for my number as I dropped him off at his doorstep. Our first date was six days later at Bikram Yoga. I knew a man who accepts the challenge of sweating profusely and stretching for 90 minutes in 105 degrees is the perfect man for me!

Mark planned a surprise weekend getaway up the coast for my 32nd birthday. We drove up through Big Sur and eventually reached our Airbnb right outside of Monterey. It was this perfect little cottage; private and quaint. In the morning we had breakfast at a local spot and walked around Carmel Beach. It was a beautiful day, sun was shining, we were surrounded by fun playful dogs (everyone who knows us, knows we love dogs). I couldn't help but think this could be THE weekend that Mark proposes to me. I didn't want to get my hopes up, so I did my best to stay present in the moment. Our next stop was the 17-mile scenic loop. We stopped at Fanshell Beach which had a beautiful and secluded cove where we found ourselves alone. The thought came again, this would be an amazing spot for Mark to propose. I asked Mark "should we continue on the drive?" He responded, "if you want to." I started making my way up the jagged rocks back to the parking lot. I didn't even make it to my next step before he said, "wait, there's something I've been meaning to ask you." I turned to look at him and responded, "oh...?" Next thing I knew, Mark was down on one knee. He pulled out the ring hidden in his pocket and he asked me to marry him. Without hesitation, I shook my head and said yes as he placed the ring on my finger. When Mark and I reflect back on this special moment, our favorite part was that it was done in private. For that entire half hour or so, we were on our own private beach. It was beyond perfect.