Setting the Scene:

In September of 2023, we had planned a 10-day road trip through the Pacific Northwest from Seattle all the way down to San Francisco. We had a ton of exciting adventures planned for that trip, but I was most excited about our gondola ride up Crystal Mountain that overlooked Mt. Rainier. On our 3rd day of the trip, we took the gondola up 2,400 feet to the top and it was the most gorgeous view I have ever seen. We were one of the first people up there and I kept telling Dustin “this is the greatest day of my entire life,” not having any idea that it was going to get even better. At the top of the mountain, there was a restaurant and patio bar with a 360 view of all of the surrounding mountains, including Mt. Rainier. We were up there for 4 hours enjoying the amazing views, drinking local beers on the patio, and eating lunch.

Setup & Fake Injury:

Right before we were about to head back down, I went to the bathroom and Dustin finally got the opportunity to ask a random worker (named Sam) to record our proposal. When I got back, Dustin came up with a story on the spot about how Sam was going to show us the best viewing point on the mountain. I was still clueless and thought nothing of it. Sam took us on a short hike up a secluded trail and started BOOKING it up this mountain. Him and Dustin left me in the dust, which I found out later that Dustin was trying to keep up with him so he could hand off his phone for Sam to record the proposal. I still had no idea what was going on, but when we reached the top, I was blown away by the view. As I looked around taking in the insane landscape and mountain ranges, I heard Dustin yelling out in “pain” after he “tripped on a rock.” (Side note: Dustin did so well at acting during his fake fall, that even Sam thought he was hurt and he was the one in on the plan!)

Popping the Question:

I turned around to see Dustin on the ground, holding onto his ankle. I started asking him all of my ‘Physical Therapy’ questions and tried helping him up. As I’m trying to help him stand, he managed to get on one knee and then did not budge from that position. I looked down at him and finally realized what was happening, completely in shock. Of course, I immediately started bawling and obviously said yes after he popped the question. The proposal was a thousand times better than anything I could’ve ever imagined. Dustin managed to make it a complete surprise AND was able to get it recorded so we can always look back on that special moment.

Post Proposal:

We spent the rest of the day celebrating on Crystal Mountain with champagne, taking engagement pictures and buying “merch” from our new favorite place. We celebrated our engagement for the entire rest of the trip by traveling down the west coast, exploring new places, sightseeing, and going to wineries.

We have already done a lot together over the last three years, from going on multiple trips to buying our house to going on a pre-wedding honeymoon to Italy. We are so excited to continue enjoying life together and for a lifetime of love and happiness. We can’t wait to get married and celebrate with all of you on June 21st, 2025!