WERE ENGAGED!
This is rather old news but I felt it the best way to begin my casual online discussions.
Prior to my engagement I knew two things about when I "pop the question." First, I wanted it to be special, and Second, I wanted it to be a surprise. I had repeatedly told my fiance that I would not propose. I was successful on both accounts.
The Story:
Some old friends of the family own a cabin in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Nearly every summer from as far back as I can remember my family would hook up the camper, load up the gear and pile into the truck to head up to the New England states for a few weeks. Either on the way up or the way back we always stopped at their cabin to spend a few days in the mountains. Their cabin is in Twin Mountain, New Hampshire, about a 10 minute drive from the base of the tallest mountain in the Northeast; Mt. Washington. (Home to the worst weather on Earth!) Every summer we drive to the base of the mountain, tour the museum, stare up at the summit and watch the famed cog railway operate as it has for over 100 years.
The Cog at the Summit
This past summer was the first that my brother and I would not be able to travel with my parents on the vacation, for my part due to my acquisition of a "real job." A few weeks before the trip my then girlfriend and I decided that we could spare a few days off, lets drive separately as far as New Hampshire and actually climb Mt. Washington. We had never tackled a climb like this before, especially on such little preparation, so we invited my brother along to help us keep our pace up and get us back down at the end of the day.
The summit the day after our hike...much better weather
It was my brothers presence that solidified in her mind that this would not be the trip she would get a ring. On top of that, it was well understood that permission was required from her father before I was to ask. This was only a slight complication as he was in Afghanistan working as a civilian contractor at the time. To abbreviate just a bit, I received permission, scrambled to purchase the perfect ring, enlisted the help of my family for some of the technical details, and was able to keep the entire endeavor a secret.
Early on the day of the climb we arrived at the base, got some maps and headed up. Skipping many hours of climbing details, we reached the summit in a misty rain. After a lengthy reprieve and lunch we stopped at the observation deck (there were very few people observing anything due to visibility at about 20ft.), before we headed down.
Skipping some more details about the exact phrase and conversation at the time...she said yes. She was ecstatic, but quickly her mood dropped when I told her I had to take the ring back for the hike down. (Her hands have a tendency to swell from the exertion) The six hour return trip from the summit was less than idea for all of us, the trail was rough and the weather was even worse.
Thawing out back in the truck it all she affirms that it was all worth the trouble.
The Cabin
Some old friends of the family own a cabin in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. Nearly every summer from as far back as I can remember my family would hook up the camper, load up the gear and pile into the truck to head up to the New England states for a few weeks. Either on the way up or the way back we always stopped at their cabin to spend a few days in the mountains. Their cabin is in Twin Mountain, New Hampshire, about a 10 minute drive from the base of the tallest mountain in the Northeast; Mt. Washington. (Home to the worst weather on Earth!) Every summer we drive to the base of the mountain, tour the museum, stare up at the summit and watch the famed cog railway operate as it has for over 100 years.
The Cog at the SummitThis past summer was the first that my brother and I would not be able to travel with my parents on the vacation, for my part due to my acquisition of a "real job." A few weeks before the trip my then girlfriend and I decided that we could spare a few days off, lets drive separately as far as New Hampshire and actually climb Mt. Washington. We had never tackled a climb like this before, especially on such little preparation, so we invited my brother along to help us keep our pace up and get us back down at the end of the day.
The summit the day after our hike...much better weatherIt was my brothers presence that solidified in her mind that this would not be the trip she would get a ring. On top of that, it was well understood that permission was required from her father before I was to ask. This was only a slight complication as he was in Afghanistan working as a civilian contractor at the time. To abbreviate just a bit, I received permission, scrambled to purchase the perfect ring, enlisted the help of my family for some of the technical details, and was able to keep the entire endeavor a secret.
Early on the day of the climb we arrived at the base, got some maps and headed up. Skipping many hours of climbing details, we reached the summit in a misty rain. After a lengthy reprieve and lunch we stopped at the observation deck (there were very few people observing anything due to visibility at about 20ft.), before we headed down.
Skipping some more details about the exact phrase and conversation at the time...she said yes. She was ecstatic, but quickly her mood dropped when I told her I had to take the ring back for the hike down. (Her hands have a tendency to swell from the exertion) The six hour return trip from the summit was less than idea for all of us, the trail was rough and the weather was even worse.
Thawing out back in the truck it all she affirms that it was all worth the trouble.
Happily Ever After....
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