Stephen and I were matched on eHarmony in late August 2012 and, after a few emails, had our first date Labor Day weekend. The autumn tax season was just starting, meaning I would be working 70-hour weeks until mid-October. I even had to work on Labor Day (despite it being a holiday) so we only planned on meeting for a couple of drinks in the evening. I got to the bar a bit before Stephen and spent those few minutes wondering what he would be like in person. He walked in and smiled at me; he was so handsome, and all of a sudden I was so nervous. But the conversation came easily and I remember feeling like I wanted him to know everything about me (which is a strange thing to think on a first date!). We ended up talking until last call at 4 am, and he kissed me in the rain before hailing me a cab. I napped for about 2 hours before getting up to go back to work. I was exhausted, but I felt more awake than ever before, like someone had turned up all of the colors in my world.

By the end of October, Rebecca's busy season had passed and we were spending more time together. We were getting along swimmingly, which was convenient because Hurricane Sandy was barreling up the Atlantic towards New York. With the city going into lock-down for a few days, there was going to be no way to see Rebecca with her living in Queens and me in Manhattan. So I invited her to pack a bag and stay at my place while the storm raged outside. We played games, watched movies, cuddled on the couch, and got some serious quality time together. What better way to spend the apocalypse? It was very obvious how well we got along after being cooped up in a small 1-bedroom apartment together for 90 hours straight. It was the ultimate sleep-over.

Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday for many years. One magical year when I was in law school, about 12 years after their separation, my mom invited my dad to come to Woodstock for Thanksgiving. He and my aunt drove up for the day and spent the holiday with my mom, Hongnian, Renee, Jason, Vicky, Alex and myself. It was such a meaningful thing to me to have my whole, blended family at one table instead of only half. And from that a tradition was born - now everyone comes to Woodstock for Thanksgiving every year...which made it the perfect opportunity to introduce Stephen! I was a little nervous about making him meet so many people in one go, especially because I wanted things to work out between us so badly. But I needn't have worried, everyone took to one another really well, and at least four members of my family pulled me aside to insist that I keep Stephen around for as long as possible. By the end of that weekend I couldn't imagine Thanksgiving without him.

Prior to moving to NYC, I had lived in Missouri my entire life, except for the 6 months I was gallivanting around the globe. I love having grown up in Missouri; I attribute much of who I am to my Midwest upbringing. There I have numerous friends and many favorite places. Unfortunately, being so far away meant I couldn't share any of those things with Rebecca. In June of 2013, my birthday coincided with my 20th high school reunion so I seized the opportunity to finally introduce Rebecca to my past. I was delighted to introduce her to many of my oldest and closest friends. In St. Louis, she met those who had come to the Tap Room for a small birthday celebration and in Jefferson City, my hometown, she met my parents as well as some of my oldest friends from my childhood church and Boy Scouts. I showed her important places in both cities including my old neighborhoods, the Arch, Pappy’s BBQ, the Thomas Hart Benton murals in the Capital building, and, of course, the Anheuser Busch brewery tour. Finally, we attended my 20th high school reunion where I was proud to show off my hot, successful, New York City girlfriend. It was a perfect trip; we had traveled very well together and afterwards I felt Rebecca knew me more deeply. I look forward to returning with her so I can share even more of those things I miss.

In November of 2013, Stephen and I spent a long weekend moving into an apartment together. We loved the space, which had two bedrooms and two bathrooms as well as great views of the Hudson River and many gorgeous sunsets. We were so excited to build a home together, especially since we had been living in each other’s apartments for about a year already - no more packing a suitcase every Friday for a weekend at my boyfriend’s apartment! Prior to move day, we had agreed on how our furniture would be arranged and discussed most of the decorating issues that come up when you combine households. The one thing we hadn't done was decide what to do with the hideous flamingo lawn ornament that Stephen kept as “decor levity”. No matter how often we discussed it, every time my back was turned, he would return it to the corner planter. Eventually I gave up, and as I type, there’s still a pink bird in our living room. The funny thing is, when we’re cuddling on the couch I barely even see it anymore - the way I feel about Stephen has made the whole world beautiful to me, even a tacky lawn ornament.

The Proposal

Throughout 2014 I prepared heavily for the Leadville 100 mountain bike race that August. In addition to many hours in the saddle, it also included spending the final three weeks in Colorado to acclimate. It was so important an event to me that Rebecca flew out there the weekend of to support me. I knew I had to do something special for her birthday, which fell the day after my return to New York. So, months in advance I started planning a surprise birthday party at our favorite spot in Central Park: Sheep Meadow. I invited all of her friends, my friends and her family to the event, but I didn't mention the real surprise.

I wanted to give a birthday toast so I instructed everyone to bring a bottle of bubbly. Little did anyone know that at the end of that toast there was going to be a twist. I started my loosely outlined speech about how great Rebecca is, how well we get long, and how much it meant to me that she had been there to get me through two long, hard races. As our inner circle sipped from their glasses, I said, “But wait, I also wanted to…” and with my heart thumping and my nerves jittering, I dropped to one knee and croaked, “Will you marry me?” If I hadn't been a ball of energy, I’d have noticed her surprise, then shock,then elation. Oddly, I kept thinking, "What do I do now?" I had spent so much effort planning to get us to this moment that I was unprepared for what happened next! I was almost as dumbfounded by the celebration after she said, “Of course!” when we kissed in front of applause, not from just our group, but from the strangers surrounding us as well! New York is awesome!

I was really looking forward to sunbathing in Central Park. It had been a long month, with Stephen gone for three weeks ending with a rather difficult race day in Leadville; I was in much need of some relaxation and sunshine. I should have known something was up when Stephen showered before we headed out - who showers before slathering on sunscreen and donning a bathing suit? And even though he suggested I may want to freshen up before we left (tip-off #2, roundly ignored by me), I brushed him off as being a bit silly.

We made it nearly 50 feet from the group before I realized this was not an ordinary day. There were a whole lot of people! With balloons! And I knew them! Oh wow, the balloons said “Happy Birthday”, and ... ohmygod! ... he planned a surprise birthday party for me!! I may have (playfully) punched him on the shoulder for tricking me, but I don’t think I could have been smiling any bigger. The amount of alcohol he brought in the cooler was starting to make a lot more sense...

About 45 minutes into the party, while I was still rather dazed by the surprise, Stephen asked for everyone's attention to give a toast. He recounted a couple of stories from the recent races that described how much I mean to him and how happy he is that I am in his life. When he got down on his knee, everything started moving in slow motion. I tried to wait for him to finish asking if I'd marry him, but it felt like a lifetime before it was my chance to accept. In reality, it seems I started nodding “yes” before he was even halfway through the question. I can’t wait for all of the adventures we are going to have and the joy with which we will fill our lives. And I swear, next time Stephen suggests I take a shower, I’ll listen.