SO, without further ado, the story of our engagement.
CHAPTER 1- Best Spring Break Ever.
I went down to Panama City, Florida for my spring break (I love that you still get a spring break in grad school!). Alex picked me up from the airport around 5:30 Friday evening and we just had a fantastic weekend. We just spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday goofing around together, going for walks and hanging out with friends.
Alex and I in the luxurious and syrupy smelling La QuintaAs most of you know, Alex moved to Florida in late January. Before that he had an apartment just 1/4 of a mile from my house. We spent every free minute together, and it was amazing. Even doing the mundane everyday tasks are so much better when you have your best bud with you. The move and the distance have gone very well, all things considered, but I still miss Alex everyday.
Anyway, the weekend came to an end, and the work week started.
Alex got up at 4:55 every morning to go to work. I hung out by myself during the day, doing school work and driving around PCB in Alex's car. Florida is perfect this time of year. I had a week of blue skies, sunshine and 75 degrees. Although I can't complain about spending my days driving around in a BMW and shopping at Target (Target, I love you...don't ever leave me...) there were still some challenging days. Most days Alex would get back in the early afternoon, but there was one day when Alex left at 5:30 in the morning and didn't return until 8:30 at night.
It could be a little lonely (and our hotel room smelled like maple syrup. Well I thought it did, Alex thought I was having a stroke), but seeing Alex at the end of the day was worth every minute alone. As soon as he walked in the door we both were just so happy to see each other and forgot about about anything else. At night we would go out to dinner, walk around the base and then relax with a glass of wine. It was a fantastic week.
Alex and I out to dinner one night at Schooners. Beautiful beach and sunset. After a long week and a few especially long days, the work week was finally over. It was Friday!
Chapter 2- Sundae in the park with Alex.
I was trying to be clever with that title but referencing a Stephen Sondheim play we studied in Theater History really cements my place as nerd. But I'm not sorry!
Anyway, on Friday afternoon Alex got off work around 3. We decided to go out for some Brusters.
Let me tell you about Brusters. Brusters is a delicious ice cream shoppe that is within walking distance of the hotel. They have all kinds of ice cream, including cake batter and Oreo, and have amazing sundaes, including my personal favorite, the strawberry shortcake sundae. You could say that Brusters and I became intimately acquainted during my visit.
Alex enjoying some delicious Brusters 
Hello Lover So we're eating Brusters, and I think I may have been doing something TOTALLY out of character, like complaining about how I hate the air conditioner in our room because the air smells like a pool used by un-potty trained babies, and he looked up at me and said, "Well what you say if I told you that we never have to go back there?"
And I just looked at him for a second, trying to figure out what he meant. I narrowed it down to A) He booked us a surprise weekend trip, B) He joined a cult and we were drinking the Kool Aid tonight, or C) He was going to make me go camp somewhere.
I would definitely hate C. I believe in camping the way Troop Beverly Hills camps (It's a fabulous movie, you much watch it now, stars Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley as a child). Also he just bought me Brusters, which is the nicest thing you can do for someone you love, so it couldn't be C.
B was possible but not probable. He knows that the giant guy from the Kool Aid campaign freaks me out.
So A it was! We packed up our things, hopped in the car, and Alex started driving to our surprise destination!
Chapter 3- "I fell in love on the seaside..."
After driving for about 20, we started making some familiar turns, and I knew exactly where we were going.
Rosemary Beach!
Rosemary Beach is a GORGEOUS planned community that is a real life Pleasantville. Rosemary Beach is a sister town to Seaside, which is only a few miles down the road. Seaside was where The Truman Show was filmed, because these towns are just that adorable.
Rosemary beach is filled with coblestone streets, stone piazza's surrounded by outdoor cafe's, bookstores and art shops. There are large green spaces all over the town, where people are playing catch or just enjoying the sun.
Green spaces in Rosemary Beach. The ocean lies at the far end of the green. My favorite part of the town are wooden walkways that connect every house. It's hard to describe, but basically even though all of the houses sit on a street, they are all connect by a boardwalk that goes between and around the houses. It's so innovative, I've never seen another town like it!
Taking a picture break while walking between the homes on the boardwalk. Alex and I had been to Rosemary Beach once before, and LOVED it.
I found it totally serendipitously. On my first trip home from visiting Alex, the woman who was sitting on the plane next me started up a conversation. She was extremely well dressed, with gorgeous clothes, hair, make up and jewelry. I was in a sweatshirt and yoga pants, no make up and in a bummed out mood about going home. I was so intimated by her I almost just put in my headphones or something so I didn't have to make pleasant conversation! But we started chatting, and she told me I HAD to go to Rosemary beach. She owns a store there, and Alex and I went in while we were there!
Rosemary Beach is now a huge part of our story. It was fate!
So we get into Rosemary beach, and there is one office that controls all the rentals for town. I wait in the car, Alex runs in to get our keys and such, and comes back out. He tells me that we'll be spending the weekend in the Pensione!
The Pensione is a little hotel on Main Street in town. I had actually looked at the website before, thinking ahead for future birthdays and anniversary gifts. It is a cute, affordable place to stay.
A room at the Pensione, taken from the website.
So we start driving, and we pass Main Street. I tell Alex this, and he says that he'll just keep driving on the road we're on and then turn around. We drive past several places where he can turn around, but he just pretends like he's lost. We keep driving into the community and toward the ocean.
Finally, he pulls over in front of this gorgeous house that's right on the beach. He turns off the car and then turns to look at me.
I look at him.
At this point I'm half expecting him to pull out a thermos of Kool Aid and tell me to drink up because I have no idea what is going on.
And then...
Me: "OHMYGAWD! ARE WE STAYING HERE?! WE CAN'T BE STAYING HERE!!! HOW ARE WE STAYING HERE?! OHMYGAAA WE'RE STAYING HERE!!!!"
Yup, he surprised me again with a MAGNIFICENT, gorgeous house right on the beach. The type of house that you can open the windows anywhere in the house and hear the waves crashing outside. The type of house that you never in a million years think your boyfriend will just pull up to and say that it's ours for the weekend.
Our view. Perfect.
View from the deck
Finally, he pulls over in front of this gorgeous house that's right on the beach. He turns off the car and then turns to look at me.
I look at him.
At this point I'm half expecting him to pull out a thermos of Kool Aid and tell me to drink up because I have no idea what is going on.
And then...
Me: "OHMYGAWD! ARE WE STAYING HERE?! WE CAN'T BE STAYING HERE!!! HOW ARE WE STAYING HERE?! OHMYGAAA WE'RE STAYING HERE!!!!"
Yup, he surprised me again with a MAGNIFICENT, gorgeous house right on the beach. The type of house that you can open the windows anywhere in the house and hear the waves crashing outside. The type of house that you never in a million years think your boyfriend will just pull up to and say that it's ours for the weekend.
Our view. Perfect.
View from the deck
Sitting in our living room right when we got there, trying to take it all it.
View of the living room from the loft.
Spiral staircase up to the loft. 
Street view of the house.
There was a gorgeous kitchen and an additional floor with the bedrooms on it as well. It is a breath taking house.
So we explore the house for a bit, marveling at how amazing it is and how incredible the view is. After a while, we start to get ready for dinner. We get all dressed up and head out for some delicious food. We had made a reservation at a restaurant called Firefly that we'd been to before and loved.
Us at dinner
We came home, full from delicious food, and went out to the deck with a glass of wine (I'm realizing only now that we drink a lot of wine. We can't help that we're so classy).
We're sitting out on the deck, under a blanket, looking at the stars and listening to the ocean. We're talking about the future, and Alex tells me he loved me. He kisses me, and then says that he can't imagine the rest of his life without me. On bended knee, he pulls out the ring and asks me to marry him.
And I said YES!
(And then he asked if he could put the ring on me and I said OH HELL YES!)
The ring is PERFECT. I had told Alex that I wanted something classic. There are a lot of neat, intricate rings out there, but I wanted a classic piece of jewelry that would stand the test of time and that I would still love when I'm 60. He picked out the ring entirely on his own, and I couldn't have dreamed a better ring. It is his gift to me. Sweetest man ever :)
So we explore the house for a bit, marveling at how amazing it is and how incredible the view is. After a while, we start to get ready for dinner. We get all dressed up and head out for some delicious food. We had made a reservation at a restaurant called Firefly that we'd been to before and loved.
Us at dinnerWe came home, full from delicious food, and went out to the deck with a glass of wine (I'm realizing only now that we drink a lot of wine. We can't help that we're so classy).
We're sitting out on the deck, under a blanket, looking at the stars and listening to the ocean. We're talking about the future, and Alex tells me he loved me. He kisses me, and then says that he can't imagine the rest of his life without me. On bended knee, he pulls out the ring and asks me to marry him.
And I said YES!
(And then he asked if he could put the ring on me and I said OH HELL YES!)
Inside after the proposal. Lovebirds in love.
The ring is PERFECT. I had told Alex that I wanted something classic. There are a lot of neat, intricate rings out there, but I wanted a classic piece of jewelry that would stand the test of time and that I would still love when I'm 60. He picked out the ring entirely on his own, and I couldn't have dreamed a better ring. It is his gift to me. Sweetest man ever :)
