3 Daughters on a Friday night in Fall 2021. Michael walked up to the brewery, blonde bowl cut, a neon fanny pack around his waist, and a hyper Aussie doodle at his side. We sat at the bar and were approached every few minutes by someone wanting to meet Pepper. Everyone thought we were a couple and she was ours, so we played along. We bonded immediately over our love for travel and our families, our shared hobbies and interests. By the end of the night, we agreed it was like we’d known each other forever.
The next day we kayaked out to Shell Key - we walked the beach, swam, jetskiied - it was the perfect start to a life of adventures.
June 8, 2024 we boarded a flight to Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. Michael had an excel spredsheet outlining the day’s plan, and I got to sit back and be surprised! We took the ferry to Saint John and as soon as we arrived, we went to a local jewelry store. His family has a tradition of getting the classic Caribbean hook bracelets, so he wanted me to have one too. We picked out a beautiful matching set, then took an open-air taxi to the Windmill Bar to take in the view and a Pain Killer. Then, it was off to Coral Bay, Skinny Legs, and a swim in Maho Bay where we saw sting rays and sea turtles.
Finally, it was time to ferry back to our hotel in Nazareth, to get ready for dinner. We were ready “ahead of schedule”, so we went out for a walk on the beach. Michael pointed out a dock in the distance and suggested we walk out to it - the perfect distraction. We were reflecting on how perfect the day had been when Michael pointed out a bottle of champagne and flowers on the sand in front of us. He started walking towards it and I said, “Aw so pretty, but be careful with the flowers, it looks like this is set up for someone.” Michael said, “I think this is for us.” The next thing I knew he was down on one knee. I was so happy and overwhelmed I started crying, a very out of character reaction. Then, a photographer was popping out of a bush and wanting to take pictures. In between sobs, I asked him to “go away, I just want to be with Michael, please.” Thankfully, he insisted on taking a few where you can’t tell how badly I’m crying.
