High above Rio de Janeiro, on the summit of Morro Dois Irmãos with its sweeping view of Ipanema, Murillo pulled off a near flawless proposal. He had planned every detail with Patrick’s preferences in mind - his love of hiking, bird's-eye views, and the foreign allure of Rio’s favelas. To bring it all together, Murillo enlisted a local guide who would lead them through the adventure and discreetly help set the stage for THE moment.

The journey began at the crack of dawn. They left their hotel in Copacabana and made their way to Vidigal, a favela nestled at the foot of the mountain: Morro Dois Irmãos. From there, motorcycles carried them up winding streets, through the favela, and into the green mountain's base, where the city slowly melted away and the jungle took over (FYI: Murillo laughs when Patrick refers to Brazilian wildnerness as jungle, but keep reading, it's clearly jungle?). Their climb began on a steep, rugged trail - 1.5 miles through jungled terrain, where the air was alive with unique flora, flashes of tropical birds and chatters from wild monkeys (clearly a jungle). Every step brought a new view: glimpses of the coastline, the glimmering ocean, and stretches of jungle and city rolling endlessly below

Step by step, they climbed higher, until the canopy parted and at last, they reached the summit. The seasonal fog drifted away as if on cue, revealing Rio in its entirety - the golden arc of Ipanema beach, the endless Atlantic, Sugarloaf mountain in the distance, and the city spread out like a painting at their feet.

Murillo asked Patrick to turn toward the view so he could snap a photo. While Patrick’s back was turned, Murillo dropped to one knee, ring in hand, heart steady (and hands shaking) with anticipation. “Alright,” he called softly, “the picture’s done - you can turn around now.” When Patrick turned, time stopped. With Rio sprawling endlessly at their feet and the sky clear and blue above them, surprise and joy and laughter lit their faces. And with one word - “yes” - their forever began.

Murillo, always the planner, patted himself on the back as his plan, yet again, successfully came to full fruition.

See Patrick’s instagram for the drone video made by the tour guide and Patrick.