Not sure if you knew this already, but WE ARE ENGAGED!
Michael and I got engaged on July 8, 2023 after a week-long cross-country adventure. I haven’t written about the entire experience yet, so I figured this was the best place to document the whole story. It was a bit of a rollercoaster, but was so worth it in the end.
let’s set the stage.
So, for context, Michael and I have been together for 8 years (as of October 2023) and ~three of those were long distance, with him living in Indiana and me living here in New Jersey. Although it was tough being apart, it made our reunions that much sweeter, and it was an opportunity for us to explore all of these places in the Midwest that we otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to explore. We also realized we love escape rooms and puzzles, because amidst COVID restrictions, those were two things we could do socially distanced for our date adventures.
part one: the midwest
About a year after Michael moved back home, he brought up the idea of going back to the Midwest for 4th of July weekend to our favorite places, like St. Elmo’s in Indianapolis (our favorite restaurant) and Chicago (our favorite city from his time in the midwest). I personally didn’t understand why we’d be using vacation days on the Midwest again, but I could smell something brewing & Michael was SO excited, so off we went.
We started in Indianapolis & did an escape room before reservations at St. Elmo. Around dessert time, the waitress dropped off a pink envelope that read “Clue 1”! Michael acted like he didn’t know anything about it, but I could tell it was his handwriting. Inside was a clue that led us to our next location, Chicago, where we took a dinner cruise and explored the city the next day. I found the next clue at the Bean. The envelope I found there indicated that Clue #3 would be miles and miles away - back home in a familiar place.
(did i think the proposal was going to happen on this trip? yes. was i a little disappointed and confused? yes. was i still excited? also yes; michael sure knows how to plan an adventure.)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F775141ca-4a86-4907-a633-262d2922bb71_1537x2049.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3a2bcc78-46de-447d-948b-f34ba9f2df51_1537x2049.jpeg)
part two: back to school
A few days after we flew home from Chicago we continued on the scavenger hunt adventure.
The clue stops were: #3 - the pizza place where we had our first date, #4 - our favorite bubble tea spot on campus, and #5 - the parking deck, where we used to sit and talk about our hopes and dreams. It was so amazing to take this trip down memory lane and visit our old stomping grounds together, older and changed, but still so in love.
The last clue at the parking deck said that the next envelope would be found in New York City, so we packed it up and decided to head into the city the next day. At this point I knew the engagement was happening soon but I was so overwhelmed that I tried not to think about it too much!
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa8afb624-52eb-4815-95d1-ebd4782db97b_1537x2049.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F40fcbb8b-c5d5-4cbf-ac54-1e00f83b8823_1537x2049.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed6f8969-87a7-4398-80aa-d72e2a0f8eb8_1537x2049.jpeg)
part three: new york city
The next morning we woke up early to take the PATH train into the city from Hoboken. Michael said that dinner was supposed to be “cocktail attire” so I put on a midi dress and spent a long time on my hair and makeup. Meanwhile, Michael put on the most amazing linen suit - I was a little confused because the day was supposed to be one of the hottest/most humid of the year, but I was so overwhelmed with what was happening that I didn’t ask any questions.
Once we got into the city, we went to The Strand (our favorite bookstore), where Clue #6 was hidden in a copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower (the first book I ever recommended to Michael). This one led to the High Line, which was one of the first places in the city we went as a couple in college. After a quick(ish) pit stop at the Starbucks Reserve, Michael and I walked all along the High Line until he presented me with Clue #7. The clue contained a riddle about an oil empire that pointed me right in the direction of Rockefeller Center!
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ab031ef-a0b9-4a0c-adaa-3e6671c1e8d4_1537x2049.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc85175bc-7495-427f-8ede-ece0bf01eea6_1536x2049.jpeg)
part four: & they lived happily ever after
I kept thinking, Is this it? but wouldn’t let my mind go anywhere past that. I didn’t want to ruin the moment by overthinking. Michael also didn’t seem nervous at all to me, so at this point I wasn’t even sure what was happening. (I’m still amazed at how cool and calm he was able to be. He works so well under pressure!)
Our Uber dropped us off in front of Rockefeller Center, and the second we were given VIP passes to go to the top, I started shaking. This was it - it was happening!
Amazingly, all of the tourists were cleared from the bottom level. I suggested we take a photo because the view was so beautiful and there wasn’t anyone around, so Michael approached a man sitting on a bench and asked if he would be willing to take a picture. We posed for the picture, and then he turned to me to give me my final clue.
Reading the clue, my brain finally processed what was happening, and I started ugly crying at the realization of what was going to happen next. I turned to Michael, who smiled at me, and reached into his pocket. After he got down on one knee, we both kind of blacked out - neither of us really knew what was happening, aside from the fact that he asked the question and I said yes! Immediately there was cheering, and we looked up to realize that all of the tourists had gathered on the second level and were watching the proposal happen. It was so special, and such a testament to how magical New York City is. Engaged to my favorite person, in my favorite city in the world!
Predictably, the man on the bench ended up being a friend of a friend who was a photographer and started shooting the proposal. I can’t express enough gratitude for him taking all of those photos - we will have that memory with us forever.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb50108b-4606-451a-9570-eabe08b71220.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1c3c4448-a58f-46bb-b215-f4487cfdd119.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F30d46722-6f54-4e4f-96ba-90e38a44a42f_2667x4000.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58f3c8f9-9a53-470e-8fc9-ca0dc791ff46_2667x4000.jpeg)
part five: the end <3
Once we finished taking pictures, I sent a selfie to my family. I figured I would call them once we sat down for dinner and my hands stopped shaking. Little did I know that they were waiting around the corner to congratulate us and meet us for dinner!!
We went to La Grande Boucherie for dinner and recounted the entire story for my family, and debriefed on the entire process leading up to the proposal: choosing the ring, the day Michael asked my parents for their blessing, and him FaceTiming my sister in Florida to show her the ring. I couldn’t believe how much thought Michael put into the proposal, and how special all of it was. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so lucky and blessed as I did in that moment. I can say pretty confidently that I have the best fiance in the entire world, and I still don’t know what I did to deserve him.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F09b24fad-91ee-4069-a6c8-51587b338f86_4000x2667.jpeg)
& with that, we’ve reached the end of our tale!!!! A bit of a long story, but well worth it. We are so happy, and so very excited to be planning our wedding!!!!
keep your eyes peeled for more wedding content ;)