The Proposal

I wrote this blog whilst waiting for an overnight train from Bern, Switzerland to Barcelona, Spain on Monday June 27th.  I haven't had internet access since Monday morning so it's just now being posted.

June 27, 2011

The big news: Keith and I are engaged!! We all knew it going to happen and apparently basically everyone but me knew when.  I’m not very good at surprises…mostly because I’m a complete control freak—

Keith took me to look at rings back in August 2010, shortly before we left for Hungary.  I assumed I would get a ring sometime whilst in Europe.  In May we discussed said ring…Keith explained due to financial issues (traveling across Europe for three weeks in June) that there would be no ring in Europe.  I was a little disappointed because I felt like he had been hinting that he would ask me to marry him while we were still on this side of the Atlantic, but I understood.  Plus anyways, we’re together…the officialness of our status shouldn’t matter. 

As we started to plan our trip westward, Keith really was really pushing a stop or at least a day trip to Lucerne.  I LOVE Switzerland, but I felt like I’d rather see something new…and we spent a week in Lucerne in November.   

 One of the covered bridges in Lucerne, Switzerland

But this was Keith’s one request on the trip…(that we stop in Lucerne…oh, and we choose our departing Europe city based on non-stop flights to NYC), so I agreed.

Around my birthday (which was three days before we left on our westward adventure), Keith started dropping hints about a small surprise he had for me and I would get it in route.  I had no idea…I thought perhaps it was a couple’s massage or maybe a Lovers’ Lock for a bridge somewhere (one of the biggest ones is in Pécs), or maybe…maybe…small like a ring…probably not, but maybe…I was more concerned that he knew something that I didn’t know.

We arrived in Lucerne around 3:00pm and meandered about.  Keith told me that we had a dinner reservation at 7:00pm.  We went to Opus for dinner where I discovered my favorite wine the last time we visited the area.  We had fabulous food and ended up ordering two bottles of the wine with the intention of re-corking the second bottle.  I went to the WC at the end of the meal and when I came back the waitress was helping Keith pack up the wine and two of the restaurant’s wine glasses.  I was confused.  “We have to bring them back later tonight,” Keith explained.  We walked about the city, put our feet in the water and then had a glass of wine. 

We watched the water, chatted, and sipped wine.  Keith starts talking about the friendship bracelets I made for us and I show him where mine is falling apart.  While I’m inspecting my bracelet, Keith mentions something about having something that is a bit more durable or something.  The next thing I know he’s down on one knee ring in hand and says, “Will you marry me?”  I stared dumbfounded for a bit and began nodding, crying and eventually say, “Yes, I’d be honored.”  Keith responds, “Really?!”  Laughing through tears I say, “Yes.” 

Shortly after saying, "yes."

Proposal Spot...

The next day we put a lock on a fence near where he proposed and threw the keys into the water…and I cried again.  

Our Lovers' Lock