But now I have a story that warms my heart and sets this week off on a good note.
During the summer of 2007, The College BF and I went on an organized "backpacking" tour of Europe. Backpack is a verb for traveling, not the actual vehicle for carrying your stuff. Eight countries in 30 days. It ruled. All of our forty person group were college-aged, fun and made for the perfect vacay family.
The best part was the couple we met on the first day heading to our London hotel. We instantly hit it off (after I awkwardly asked if the room arrangements were locked down for the rest of the trip). Turns out they were the keepers.
They'd been dating since high school but long-distanced while in college. Nicki was already pushing for an engagement, but Joe wasn't in a rush.
After about a million and a half memories traipsing around Europe, we came back home, all promising to stay friends. Although still connected via FB with most of the group, Nicki and Joe are the only ones I've kept up with because they live in New York.
Since I had already planned on moving that following January, we banked on staying close, describing her roommate (whose wedding I went to in November!) and The BFF as each other's 'future friends.'
And it all worked out perfectly. They've ended up being some of my favorite people in the city. When The BFF and I first moved and dealt with the insanity of finding an apartment, they were the girls who let us live on their futon for two weeks.
And then when The BFF and I moved neighborhoods this past winter, they're the people in the apartment across the street who can see in our windows. No seriously, it's creepy. :) (We've been planning on attempting to do a tin-can-string-telephone experiment. I will keep you posted. How can it not fail?!)
Everyone who has every met Nicki knows she's the sweetest person in the entire world. With the personal mantra of "Life is beautiful" and the fact she's always "so full of happiness," she's an inspiration in positivity.
So in the years since that fateful European meeting, we've all been waiting for the proposal.
On Friday she invited me over. When I got there she flashed me the bling.
Nice work, Joe.
The story of the proposal was equally as beautiful as the ring, taking place on a remote beach with the kind of adorableness that melts even the most frozen of hearts (mine).
I'm so full of happiness for the two of them. Life is beautiful.
And, as an engagement present, here's some of the (many) paparazzi pics I took during our trip of our tour guide Terry, the most awkwardly hilarious British man on the planet. He would be so excited for YALL too!
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