Alex and I met on the steps of Howard University's Lewis K Downing building in the Fall of 2008. I saw him and knew he was my soulmate! *record snatch* Kidding! That is where we met but the story isn't quite that simple. Those who know Alex and my history as friends know that it hasn't always been simple but, they will say they always saw the day we'd get married. They'd say, "Kama has been arguing with that man like they were a married couple FOREVER!" That would not be incorrect.

Alex has always found the quickest way to my last nerve yet, he remains to be the true love of my life. I am blessed to have found my soulmate. I am so glad to have made it to this moment with Alex, I can't wait to join you in celebrating our union and life!

In March of 2018, our trip to Denver was framed as a chance for Kama to go home; given she hadn’t seen her family in a little while. We also planned a big family dinner for Sunday afternoon. We arrived at her home in Denver to relax and watch a movie, during which her brother Ahmed called me to say he would be a little late arriving in Denver. [I later learned that Kama slightly over heard our conversation and was wondering why Ahmed was calling me to let me know he was going to be late.] I could sense that with this Denver trip overall, Kama was a little on edge as she suspected a proposal was coming but she just wasn’t sure when or where it might happen. She was also suspicious because it’s rare that she and her siblings are in the same place at the same time, other than holidays, given they all live in different cities.

The next day, Kama, her two brothers and I headed to Boulder, Colorado for a morning hike. Her brother Tariq had to work Saturday morning, but he absolutely was not going to miss the hike and proposal, so his solution was to bring along his laptop. The hike was pretty smooth at first, but the incline changed drastically about midway through so the hike became more difficult. We brought a speaker along and were listening to music played by DJ Tariq. Aside from the proposal itself, the music ended up being a key motivator in pushing us to complete the hike. We made it 90 percent of the way to the top where there was a large open area overlooking all of Boulder, in the direction of Denver. It was there I realized that this was the best location to propose.

Kama and I stopped while Ahmed and Tariq continued to the top. Meanwhile, Kama realized what time it was, and mentioned that she wanted to start heading back down the mountain to the car, and that her brothers could catch up and meet us. After some convincing and mentioning that I would like to take a group photo at this spot, Kama agreed to wait for her brothers. Her brothers came back down and we ended up taking the group photo.

Immediately following that, I hinted to Ahmed and Tariq that this was my time to propose. I gave Ahmed the phone but he didn’t seem to get the hint at first; because as soon as he was handed the phone, he thought it would be funny for him to start recording himself. I then proceeded to get down on one knee without Ahmed knowing and began to propose. He quickly turned the camera around to focus on me and Kama, and our special moment in time. She was in shock! She said “Yes” and the bystanders all cheered loudly, some even asking “When’s the wedding and can I get an invite?” We all then made our way back down the mountain to the car where Kama would then call her family and friends to share our good news. Later she told me she suspected I was going to propose, but thought it might be the next day sometime, since we had a large family dinner planned for Sunday. Looking back this was an event that neither one of us will ever forget.