Garrett and I met back in the Spring of 2017 all because of a modern dating accident. At the time, I was scrambling to get my Master's defense together at Penn State, and he was working in Houston. We were both on Coffee Meets Bagel - a dating app - but I had accidentally left my location as Houston instead of State College. Needless to say we matched, and I couldn't help but swipe right after glancing at (but really scrutinizing) his profile. For the next four weeks we maintained daily contact exchanging memes, asking random questions to glean something new off each other and laughing about the trivial bits of our day. Garrett never failed to make me laugh. He had a knack for keeping our conversations lighthearted, but wasn't afraid to delve into deeper topics. I learned more things about him over the course of four weeks than I had with people I've known for several years. Our long distance conversations kept me afloat during some of the most stressful times of my life.

We both knew it wasn't common to chat for so long without meeting face to face through a dating app. One day he asked me for a recent photo of myself just to make sure I wasn't a completely different person - that I was real. I gave him a hard time for awhile and played coy, joking that I was actually a 40 year old bearded man named Chuck. He was not amused, which I found amusing. At the end of the day, I caved in and sent him a selfie of me wearing glasses in an old Rice shirt. He seemed satisfied and returned a picture of him on a hike near Austin. Secretly I was counting down the days until I returned to Houston so we could finally meet in person.

It didn't take long for us to agree to go on a date once were in the same city. Four weeks of faceless communication can only be sustained for so long in this day and age. For our first date, we kept it casual: late lunch and an afternoon showing of John Wick 2 at City Centre. I arrived early in the theater and watched a handsome, bearded man approach me out of the corner of my eye. So far so good. I could tell he was relieved that Chuck didn't show up instead. Our conversations felt effortless but meaningful, picking up right where we left off. Neither one of us really wanted the date to end even after five hours together, but he had work the next day and I had thesis edits to finish. After gelato at what is now one of our favorite dessert spots, he walked me to my car and gave me a long-awaited hug. I knew I wanted to see him again soon.

In July 2019, I was on a three week training opportunity offshore West Africa. It was the longest we'd gone without seeing each other since I permanently moved back to Houston after graduate school. Garrett suggested a long weekend vacation to Boston at the end of August so we could attend a parade and also decompress from the stress of work. Of course I couldn't turn down that offer. Usually I'm the one that likes to plan ahead and book the hotels and flights, but this time he took the initiative to setup everything. That should've been my first clue, but I was oblivious at this point and just wanted quality time with him without any distractions. He assured me that we were staying at a lovely boutique hotel in the heart of the city just a few blocks from Boston Common.

We landed late Thursday night and checked in to an adorable hotel room with a view of the city streets below. On Friday, we started off the day on a self-guided tour of the Freedom Trail, which highlighted major historical sights and monuments. Hopped up on caffeine, we blazed through the first half of the tour before crashing at Faneuil Hall for some ice cream. The sugar was just enough for us to find our way back to the hotel for a much needed nap. That evening, we headed out to North End to savor authentic Italian food and cannoli. I kept asking during dinner what we were doing the next day since I always liked to be prepared. Garrett only said that we would be joining a parade through downtown during the day and that the evening was "a surprise." Clue number two, which at this point I had a smidgen of suspicion. Garrett's not very good at keeping surprises, nor has he ever kept me in the dark about anything. My spidey senses were tingling.

The next day I realized it was useless to keep pestering him about revealing the surprise, so I only asked questions like: do I need to wear something fancy? is it outdoors? do I need tissues in case I cry? Of course, staying true to his role he responded with minimal answers. That is, until I overheard him on a phone call talking about a "flight" and "sunset" and something about a "helicopter." I'M GOING ON A HELICOPTER TOUR?! He done it. He ruined the surprise, but I could've cared less by that point. We immediately called an Uber and sat in the hotel lounge sipping cocktails excitedly while we waited for our ride. I noticed he insisted on bringing his backpack "in case of emergencies because we might need water" (?????). Now I was sure that something was up.

The driver took us to a small airport outside of Boston surrounded by the woods and quaint little houses. We were the only ones taking a helicopter ride that evening, making the experience even more intimate. I was giddy during the entire flight as the pilot glided over all of Boston's beautiful landmarks. Ten minutes before the end of the tour, Garrett asked the pilot to circle back over the Charles River where we could get a panoramic view of the city skyline. I held my breath. The moment was finally coming, and I didn't bring tissues!!! As I looked out of the window, he grabbed my hand. I must have blacked out in the next few minutes as he said the most heartfelt speech about how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and that even though shows like The Bachelor and The Bachelorette were unrealistic, I deserved my own real life fairy tale proposal. It was short and sweet, just as I had always envisioned the proposal would be. He fumbled inside his backpack (I knew it) and popped open a jewelry box with the most beautiful rock I'd ever seen in my life. I snapped out of my daze and scrambled together the words "Yes of course!!!" as the pilot turned back toward the airport. As we landed, I asked the pilot how often proposals happen on his tours. He chuckled and said once or twice a week, and he has yet to witness a "no." We were pleased that we didn't ruin his lucky streak.