It was 8pm on a Friday night at Devos ER when I heard the loudest sigh and a resident slumps into the chair next to me making some comment about it being a long day. Next thing I know he is typing away at a procedure note making a little small talk, then mutters something about how he did not know who had the energy drink sitting at the desk but he almost drank out of it. Needless to say I found him quite irritating. Per Dustin, he knew the minute he saw me - messy bun, mask, and very anxious new grad nurse me - that he was going to find a way to ask me on a date.

We went and got tacos and then a cocktail at Donkey! Dustin was pretty smitten but I was still unsure.

First photo I sent to my friends. Clearly I was trying to be sneaky

We decided to just be friends and go our separate ways…

We texted nearly everyday and he still came to the ER to visit me during the work week (he brought me chocolate and coffee a lot). It took me a lot longer than him to process that my feelings for him were growing every day. After nearly six months we went on another “first” date and the rest is history.

So why is my girls trip to England with my best friends relevant in our story. Well this is the trip where Dustin casually called me to say his Chicago birthday trip which I spent hours planning was canceled due to him “just not feeling it.” Little did I know at that point that his birthday was the day he was going to propose.

I had zero clue it was happening that day because my friends had done a great job convincing me that it was not that day. They told me to manage my expectations on HIS birthday. Dustin had planned the most perfect day and I was in utter shock. My dad came out of the bushes on hole 9 right as Dustin went on one knee. I then came home to all of our family members there for an intimate celebration. It was beyond what I could have dreamed of. I did not know half of the things he had done to plan that day until we debriefed.