The Proposal!

Our east coast road trip was a long time coming. Since college, the adventurous part of Noel has always wanted to tour the US, road-trip style, and the idealistic photographer in me has always wanted to see the east coast's tree-lined roads, fall colors, and a real white X-mas. And thanks to the Food Network, both of us craved to taste real Southern BBQ. Though we talked often of one day taking such a trip, the timing was never right. But the funny thing about dreams is they don't fade over time, they only grow stronger. So in March of 2008, we decided to start doing what we dreamed as soon as possible. We picked September as it was the most convenient time.

When we prepared to go on our two-week road trip, I anticipated many unexpected and spontaneous events, but I had no idea something life changing would happen to us. Unbeknownst to me, Noel had planned, months ago since our first talks about the road trip, to propose to me. While we were researching the best restaurants to dine at, historical spots to check out, and hotels to book, Noel was also researching the best diamond to buy.

Though he tried to be discrete, there were a few almost-mishaps. There was one time my office closed early for the day, and I came home earlier than usual. I was hoping to surprise Noel, but when I got home, he was gone. It was very unusual to me because his work is at home, so he would normally be at his desk. I called him, and at the time, his excuse was that he was out running errands. It didn't seem a big deal, so I had forgotten about it. But later, a string of more and more unusual events started to occur, especially at the beginning of our trip. When it was closer to the trip, Noel was getting more and more nervous. He told me he carried the ring in his pocket onto the plane, and would check on it every few minutes to make sure that it didn't fall out of his pocket somehow or that some stalker-thief didn't pick-pocket him. When he arrived in Orlando, Florida to meet me (I was there first to attend a meeting for work), he was even more jittery.

On the first day of our trip, we drove up Florida's coast. Noel had imagined that one of the Florida's beaches would definitely be a romantic spot to propose. But, as it turned out, Noel's plan was to be thwarted by the elements. The first beach we stopped at, Daytona, was completely empty and showed signs of a hurricane approaching. The strong winds and high tides littered the beach with seaweed and foam. The tropical, romantic spot Noel envisioned was definitely not here.

Driving further north, we finally spotted a beach we could settle down at. It was a beautiful, red-sand beach, with wild plants growing along the road. When I stepped out to take pictures, Noel held back to dig for the ring, which he had burried at the bottom of his luggage at the hotel the night before to ensure that I woundn't find it. But just when he was elbow-deep in the luggage and had grasped hold of the box and was about to pull it out, he saw me walking back toward him (I was just innocently trying to take some pictures of Noel by the car). Not wanting to give it away right at that moment, he quickly put the ring back and decided to wait for a better opportunity.

Continuing further up the coast, we stopped for lunch at a roadside beach shack. After eating, while I was distracted, Noel seized the opportunity to hide the ring in his swimtrunk pocket, expecting to propose any minute. Even though the box was clearly protruding from his pocket, I was pretty oblivious. Unfortunately, as we strolled over to the beach, he discovered it was not any better than the last two. The wind was blowing sand all over us. After eating mouthfuls of sand, Noel gave up on Florida and decided to let the moment come to him rather than forcing it.

Fortunately, the moment didn't wait too long. It presented itself on the very next morning in Savannah, Georgia. We arrived in Georgia the night before and while eating at the best pizza place we've ever dined at (it was called the Mellow Mushroom), we asked the waitress for some advice of must see places. She recommended Forsyth Park. As she recommended it to us, Noel was imagining a romantic moment. At the hotel, as we looked through maps to plan the itinerary the next day, Noel casually suggested having a breakfast picnic at Forsyth Park.

Early the next morning when we arrived at the park, Noel tried to shoo me to go ahead of him, telling me to go first and take pics. Weirded out by Noel's sudden need for privacy, I wouldn't leave. But Noel wasn't going to be thwarted a fourth time. He knew he had to get the ring from his laptop bag, where he had relocated it to the night before, knowing it would be easier to get at, in a moment's notice, than digging through a two-foot deep luggage. When he realized I wasn't going to budge, he grabbed the whole laptop case. I asked, "What are you doing?" He tried to throw me off the tracks by saying he wanted to check some emails in the park. I thought it was pretty strange, but I could tell he was very insistent, so I let it go.

We walked around the park a little and when we saw a gorgeous fountain, we both agreed it was a great spot for our breakfast. We settled on a bench facing the fountain, and as I was just ready to take out the food, Noel tarried. The sun was breaking through some clouds and glittering on every droplet splashing from the fountain. He wanted to enjoy the moment. And doing what I normally do when I enjoy a moment, I took out my camera and took pictures. Just as I was putting the camera away, Noel turned to grab something (I thought it was food). But then, he dropped to one knee and brought out a velvet black box, and opened it. At that moment, it was like a chain reaction, followed by an explosion, went off in my head all in a flash...all the dots connected, all the weird stuff made complete sense, all the vague excuses now had a real explanation, and best of all, they were all culminating into the best explanation I could ever think of: he was hiding a ring all along.

I was so surprised I didn't even let him finish asking the question. Midway through "Will you...," I yelled, "NO!" and hugged him tightly. By "no," of course, I meant I was in complete disbelief. And knowing me as well he does, he knew this is what I meant. The moment was so beautiful and so perfect, I cried tears of joy. Noel pried me off a few minutes later and said, "Can I have your left hand?" I didn't even really see the ring when he asked, I don't think it mattered at the time because I was so pleased with the moment and the fact that it was happening. When I saw the ring, it was like the moment couldn't get better, but then it just did. The ring was just the right cut and setting. I love it.

The moment by the fountain was the only time it was sunny that whole day. It was completely serenpenditous and that's what made it perfect.