The Engagement

I asked the boy how I should start this latest blog and these were his suggestions:

'Once upon a time in New York....'

'The Bald Leopard went to New York....'

'I know an Ironman...'

Have I mentioned the boy is an Ironman?  Because I think he wants everyone to know ;)

So yes, once upon a time (at the end of May) we went to New York.  I had never been to New York so I was quite stoked.  Plus it was the first time Paul and I were going to be just the 2 of us in months.  Long distance relationships are hella hard so any time we get together is precious and the fact that this time we got to travel together as well was a bonus.

We had kind of been talking about getting engaged for a while (aka I kept sending him ring emojis next to a bride emoji) and I was secretly hoping he would pop the question in New York.  However, I had told him that it was mandatory to ask my dad's permission before he asked me and as far as I knew he hadn't done it yet.  I met up with my parent's before I left and they informed me that no, he had not in fact asked them yet.  

'Are you kidding me?  What is he waiting for?  I bet you he's not going to do it in New York because that's when I want him to do it.  Watch him make me wait until the summer just to annoy me.'

Now before anyone goes and calls me crazy, there is something different about being in a long distance relationship.  Especially when you are as long distance as we are.  You have to have a goal or a direction that you are going in, otherwise you're just gallivanting around the world for years (which is fun but also kind of exhausting) and find out that 'wait, i'm not going to live where you live' and 'hold up.  I'm not living where you live' and then you're screwed.  SO...we had genuinely talked about this...who is moving where, when we are getting married, etc so I knew a ring was coming and I love bling and I'm super impatient :)

So I told my parents I no longer cared if he asked their permission and off I went to New York.

Anyone else ever been in a LDR (that's long distance relationship for those of you not up on the lingo.  I got tired of writing it out but I feel like I just defeated the purpose of using an abbreviation but from now on that's what I'm going to do, m'kay?).  Anyway, there's this moment when you see each other in person for the first time in months and you're like 'Geez, is that really you?  Like in the flesh?  Like you're a real person that I can actually touch and not just make faces at through a computer screen?  You mean we can actually talk to each other and not just text?'  And for a very brief moment its a bit of a shock that there they are, just standing right in front of you.  But then its amazing, because there they are, just standing right in front of you and everything is right and your mind is at ease and your heart feels full.  Those are the best moments x

So I told myself, 'Don't think about getting engaged.  Just focus on enjoying the trip and being together' because I didn't want to walk away from the trip feeling disappointed due to the lack of bling and forget that "HEY!  We are in NEW YORK and we are TOGETHER and this is AMAZING'

Turns out.....he did it on the first day we were there :)

We were walking through central park enjoying the views and trying to find all the famous spots.  The weather was perfect, the birds were singing, the squirrels were aggressive, you know, the usual.  We came up to a nice wooded path with benches along the way and sat down to have a break.  Well actually I sat down to have a break, Paul walked around desperately trying to find a place to pee in the middle of the park.  So romantic :)  

Apparently this wasn't a good place to stop so we kept walking until we came up to the lake with the boathouse.  I found a rock to hang out on and Paul took some pictures before sitting on the rock below me.

Now he would like everybody to know that he was sitting below me.  And I would like to add that he was sitting.

We kind of have this thing where Paul is a present-fiend and I usually oblige by bringing him chocolate or chips and what not from home every time I go to visit.  This time was no exception as I had brought him a bag of chocolate Easter eggs and a big Easter bunny.  So we are sitting on the rock and he says

'Do you want your present now?'

'Oh I get a present this time do I?'

'Well ya...'

And he opens up his camera bag and pulls out a big shiny box.

'What is this?'  As if I didn't know....;)

'Well open it'

'Should I?'

'ummm yaaaaaa'

So I open the box and he goes,

'So do you want to marry me?'

What do I say?

'Really????'

Not because I was surprised or didn't have an answer for him, but he was still sitting on the rock!  Clearly I forgot to tell this boy that getting down on one knee was also a requirement.  But of course I said yes anyway and will now forever hold the fact that he didn't get down on one knee over his head for the rest of his life (because I'm pretty sure that's what people in mature relationships do).  And he will try and convince you that he was practically on one knee because he was sitting below me on the rock. 

Men.

But then after he put the ring on my finger he gave me the speech.  And it was a damn good little speech.  Every girl wants the speech, almossssst as much as we want the bling.

Turns out he had asked my parents...about 2 months ago...and they had legit managed to not let it slip which I am actually incredibly impressed with and they get major props for that.  And he had bought the ring months ago and had thought about waiting until the summer to propose but really he needed to do it now because 'it's really hard to have something that I can't talk to you about because I tell you everything.'  And if that isn't friggin adorable, I don't know what is.

And then he talked about my bald bald head.  And how when you first meet someone obviously looks play a factor in attraction.  But when I lost my hair, it didn't change anything for him.  At all.  And then I cried.  Like a lot.  Because hair is such a huge part of our self esteem and making ourselves feel beautiful.  And sometimes its hard to imagine feeling wanted or attractive without flowing locks and flirty lashes.  But not for one second have I ever felt that way around Paul.  He's been such a huge part of my coping and I am forever grateful that I managed to find him in this world with so many fish in the sea but very few good men.  Because the people who love you the most are never going to care if all your hair falls out, that's not why people fall in love.  They fall in love with you, as a person and your quirks and your insecurities, and that my friends is a beautiful thing.

So here I am, a bald girl totally engaged to the man of my dreams.  A person who meets every single expectation, want and need I never even knew I had and I couldn't be happier or more excited. So cheers to the boy who is now the fiance and soon to be the Husband (yup, that gets capitalized).

And to think, I used to tease him about him losing his hair....