We’re getting married!!

Jacob and I have technically known each other for as long as we can both remember. We grew up just a few houses apart and shared the same bus stop in middle school. I babysat his younger siblings a few times and our little sisters were good friends, so we were always just around each other. In fact, we briefly “dated” in middle school for about a week and a half (or two weeks depending on who you ask!) and proudly held hands on the bus. It was, clearly, a very serious relationship. After that very important middle school relationship, we went our separate ways and lost touch. Then during the pandemic, when we were both home from college, our moms decided to step in to finally fulfill their 20-year-dream and set us up. Long story short, I texted Jacob, there was tequila on Cinco de Mayo, we started taking our dogs on walks through the preserve in our neighborhood, then sometime over the next few months it just clicked. For the next year and a half we did long distance while finishing college. I was at DePaul in Chicago and Jacob was at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. We flew back and forth whenever we could and spent plenty of nights on multi-hour FaceTime calls when we couldn’t. After graduating, we decided to make up for the study abroad trips that COVID had cut short and spent three and a half months traveling through Europe and Africa together. Before we left for this trip, I told my Grammy, "We will either come back from this engaged or never talking to each other ever again." Well.. the engagement took a few more years, but I think if we can survive long-term budget travel, food poisoning on a plane to Venice, a chaotic customs port in Tanzania and once in a generation orange mud rain in southern Spain, we may just be meant to be. Jacob proposed at Boom Island Park in the North Loop of Minneapolis, very close to where our first apartment was. I had always convinced myself I would know when I was about to get engaged, but Jacob managed to completely surprise me. We had plans to meet his family for his dad's birthday dinner nearby. On our way to the restaurant his mom called, seemingly out of nowhere, and told us they had gotten to Minneapolis early and were down at Boom Island by the river because Jacob's brother Pete wanted to fish on the river. "Why don't you meet us here and we can walk to the restaurant together," she said. This wasn't out of the ordinary, so Jacob and I parked and started walking toward the river. I was completely caught up looking for his family and trying to keep us on time for our reservation when Jacob suddenly grabbed my hand, slowed down, and turned me around. Then he got down on one knee, asked, “Emma Christine, will you marry me?” And of course my answer was, “Yes!” It was then the tears started and didn't stop for the rest of the night. Jacob had also made an elaborate plan with our friends and family to have them sneak into our apartment and decorate for a surprise engagement party when we got back! The night ended surrounded by some of the people we love most and we couldn't have asked for a better beginning to our engagement. If you've made it this far, thank you for sticking with me. It's hard to summarize six years into a few paragraphs!! Anyways, to wrap this up, just a final bit of reflection. Throughout our relationship, Jacob and I continually return to the deep gratitude we have for those around us. Our cups are filled by hosting, spending time with our closest friends and family, traveling and sharing adventures, and also building a home together (now along with our two cats, Indy and Olive!). This being said, Jacob and I feel so incredibly lucky to celebrate this weekend with all of you and can’t wait to start the next chapter together. Cheers to real, true, deep love!! Love always, Emma (almost!) Vidmar