Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Engagiversary

Like most girls, I like to celebrate all of the little moments in our relationship. Anniversaries of our first date, first kiss, first time to eat pad thai together (too far?). Hubs thinks it's silly but it's not like I expect any big celebration over it (although I'll never turn down some chocolate), I just like to reminisce about all of the milestones we have had together. Well our latest -iversary was yesterday which marked three years since a certain girl got a text, that led her on a scavenger hunt across Chicago, that led her to a very nervous waiting man. This is the story of that fateful day when they officially decided to stop supporting American Airlines and end their long distance relationship by getting hitched. 


I had an interview that morning; an interview that I did not want to go to. It was an amazing opportunity with a large company but it meant sacrificing trips to Oklahoma to see hubs, and staying in Chicago to work impossibly long hours. Even though hubs was initially on board with me ditching my scheduled early morning interview and sleeping a few extra hours before he came to see me that day, he had somehow sweet-talked me into going last minute. So I set my alarm for extra early and headed to the other side of town. Hubs was supposed to be coming in later that afternoon. I say supposed to because little to my knowledge, he had been in town with my mom and sister since early that morning. When the time that he was supposed to be at my apartment came and passed I gave him a call but received a text back instead. It was short and to the point, ‘check behind the kitchen door.’ There, I found my laptop case, a Starbucks gift card, a ten-dollar bill and a web address. The web address gave me a video message from him and a map below it. I was given very precise instructions to follow the map to the appropriate Starbucks, go to the front counter and ask for an envelope for Chelsea. Inside, there would be the next clue. It was official, I was being sent on a scavenger hunt across Chicago. As I made my way to each location and was accumulating more videos, each Starbucks’ worker seemed to be more excited than the last. They were asking me questions like, was I nervous or did I know what he was planning. It’s safe to say that by this point I was certain what was going to happen at the end of all this but that didn’t make me any less nervous. By the time I got to the last Starbucks location, I was certain to where I would be heading next. As I rounded the corner onto the bustling Michigan Ave, I could see the familiar stonewall of the cathedral my sister and I swore as children that we would both be married at. I made my way past the crowd of shoppers and tourists and made my way into the courtyard where I saw my future husband standing by the fountain where we sat and talked on our first date. I really wish I could say that I remember every word he spoke but alas, the nerve and excitement took over. All I remember is saying ‘yes’ through a wall of tears while throwing my arms around the man I would soon marry. That was now three years ago but it is still just as vivid. Happy three year engagiversary hubs. 

Linking up with Shanna and Sylvie