You know, South America. It's like America, but South!
Adventure is out there, indeed!Of course, when I share that we got engaged, people are going to ask about THE STORY of the proposal.
The past weekend was such a blur, but it was an incredible, memorable and priceless blur.
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| Photo: Toby Fitch//Toby Fitch Studios |
We started off Saturday like all the other normal Saturdays we had, we sold my bookshelf and decided to stop by Costco to fill up Tay's truck. It didn't feel like anything special...
Taylor C. texted Tay that he needed a ride to pick up a new moped--of course, a new moped! So I didn't think twice about it and insisted that Tay go pick up Taylor by himself. Honestly? I just wanted a nap...that never happened.
(I have to apologize for the impending confusion of two Taylors, Tay is "MY" Taylor, Taylor is his childhood friend.)
Around a half hour after Tay left, I got a FaceTime call from Fiona. She had a paper plane with a lipstick kiss on it in her hand.
"You have to go on a scavenger hunt right now."
"NOW? Right NOW?"
"Yes, just do it."
She gave me my first clue, the paper plane was "from" the Pixar short Paperman (if you haven't seen it, watch it here!)--which Tay and I ADORE! My first clue was to check behind one of the three teal paintings I had.
My heart was POUNDING. Was this THE day? I didn't want to dwell on the idea that I was probably gonna be engaged at the end of the day, what if Tay just wanted an elaborate way to take me out to dinner? After all the last time we did a scavenger hunt, it led me to our first date back in Rochester almost four years ago!
I hung up the call and went straight to my paintings that were hanging on the wall above the fireplace, I took them all down (hey, might as well since I'm moving this weekend right?) and there it was. The next clue.
"Do you ever look at someone and wonder, what is going on inside their head?" The next clue can be found INSIDE! Hint! Think PIXAR!
Inside Out. This was too easy since Tay surprised me with a copy of Inside Out last week! I opened up the Blu-Ray to see the next clue.
You figured it out!! Next, call the people who gave you your name for the next one!
My parents and my brother! They knew!? I called, called and called. Nobody picked up. Seriously? Then my dad finally called me, they were in the middle of Sears and the connection was bad--but I still picked up on the hint they passed along!
"Just keep swimming!"
Finding Nemo! At first I thought it was going to be the next Pixar film, Finding Dory--but no, let's stick with the already released ones. My next clue was to look into a green bowl in the kitchen.
I walked back to the kitchen and found the next clue.
Just keep on swimming indeed! Another call to make here, but go ahead and call that Yukawa 2k miles way ATM! (I hope she picks up!) :)
I immediately called Grace, she feigned innocence and asked what was up. I had to ask for the clue before she dropped the charade, oh you. My clue was "wear your Sunday's best!" I got so confused, I thought I was being told to change clothes, then she gave me another clue--this is really hard to type out so I'll do it ASL style.
"Fat person floating on chair, fall out, OH LOOK WE HAVE A POOL!" Your next clue is in Eve.
Wall-E! (Eve is the name of my car, since it's white and yeah...not so original but whatever.) I got paranoid because I had JUST cleaned out my car of trash right before Tay left to "meet" Taylor. But later I found out he put the clue there before he left, smart.
It was a stuffed Sully from Monster Inc. with the next clue: Sully here says to text your favorite "bae" for the next steps! By the way, dress warm and comfy, it could be a windy ride! (Or tell him to turn on the
I didn't hesitate texting Taylor, by this point I knew the text about the moped was a lie. I didn't know if Taylor was bringing his motorcycle or would be driving me around in his car, it was the latter--THANK GOD. It was around 40 degrees that Saturday.
One of the questions I've gotten since announcing our engagement was: did you think to dress up, do your make up and look cute before leaving the house to meet Tay? Honestly? No. I didn't even think about that at all, I was so focused on the task of the scavenger hunts and I was so excited/nervous I didn't even think of it until later that night! Love me as I am, right? ;)
Taylor drove for almost 45 minutes, I had narrowed down locations in my mind--but I didn't expect to find myself at Discovery Park. At the lighthouse I was being told I was kicked out of the car, so I walked towards the beach not knowing what I would see.
I saw Tay, so I started walking down towards him--when I got to him, he turned me around away from the setting sun (3:30pm sun hurts my eyes like crazy) and asked me if I was cold.
"I'm okay."
"Do you know why you're here?"
*Shrug* (I didn't want to say something and have it be "LOL you're cute, I'm not proposing!")
"Well, here you go."
At this point, he reached in his bag that he was holding and handed me a clearly home-made book.
This was the end of the Pixar scavenger hunt, ending it with one of Tay's favorite movies and our favorite love stories--Carl and Ellie from Up.
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| Photo: Samantha Liddick//Sami Lee Studio |
WAIT WHAT NO THIS IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WHAT IS LIFE WHAT IS THIS NO WAY OH MY GOD ALL OF MY DREAMS AND ITS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW THIS IS EXACTLY THE RING I WANTED AND HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT PINTEREST FOR LIKE WHAT FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!! Now you know what Inside Out would have been about if it was me at this moment.
I started tearing up and clutching the adventure book as I nodded my head, we hugged and kissed.
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| Photo: Toby Fitch//Toby Fitch Studios |
Toby came out bounding with his camera congratulating us. We had a photographer!!!!
"Nope, there's two more!" Toby and Tay laughed at my facial expression.
WHAT IS THIS. Three photographers capturing our super special moment and a childhood friend of Tay's was there too, Taylor! This WAS unreal.
I couldn't stop looking at the sparkler (TOTALLY the DREAM ring I've been pinning on Pinterest for months!!!!!!) on my finger as we took pictures by the falling sunset on the beach looking towards Mt. Rainier which was SUPER clear on this beautiful, but cold, day!
I couldn't have asked for a better and a memorable proposal by the man I love and will be spending the rest of my life with!
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| Photo: Toby Fitch//Toby Fitch Studios |
BONUS FOOTAGE -- HIS STORY:
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| Photo: Toby Fitch//Toby Fitch Studios |
I was pretty nervous, not because I was unsure if she would say yes (LOL PLZ), but because I wanted everything to go right. I realized a while ago, when I knew I wanted to propose, that I may have set the bar really high for this one.
I had asked her out on our first date by writing on a softball before an intramural game at RIT and throwing it to her. I set up a scavenger hunt through campus before one of our other dates. I had asked her to be my girlfriend (we had been casually dating for a few months before that) with a cake that she thought was for a friend's birthday (thank you Ethan).
So I knew this one had to be better.
But how?
I had no idea. I didn’t know for a while until a few weeks back. After finding out Inside Out was soon to be on DVD (Sara had insisted it was out in late October and we went to Target only to find out it was actually a week after), I knew that would be how. We had always talked about Pixar and how amazing their movies are so it seemed fitting that if I couldn’t get Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner to participate in my proposal (it's not too late for the wedding, you two!) then through Pixar movies would do.
So each clue was attributed to a Pixar movie. I derived from this for the first clue, Paperman, because it was our favorite short by a mile (With Lava -- Sara here, I couldn't find a captioned video online, but go out and buy a copy of Inside Out then you'll have to watch the short! -- a close second now) and the romance behind the story of Paperman seemed like a fitting way to start it off.
I expected her to take a hour or so with the scavenger hunt I had set up, only to find out through Fiona she was done in about 20 minutes or so. Taylor had texted me asking what time, and I thought since she had a late start, that he wouldn't be needed until 2:15. I underestimated my still-then girlfriend's knowledge as she was done by 1:50. I should have made them harder and have one of the clues to tell her to find some ant colony outside (A Bug’s Life).
Since I told Taylor to come by 2:15, I was thinking she would arrive by 3:20 or so after Fiona texted me her whereabouts at around 3. I knew where they were and estimated I had around 5-10 minutes before she would arrive at the final spot so I ended up casually talking with Toby, who did a tremendous job reaching out to two other photographers who were assisting.
So I knew this one had to be better.
But how?
I had no idea. I didn’t know for a while until a few weeks back. After finding out Inside Out was soon to be on DVD (Sara had insisted it was out in late October and we went to Target only to find out it was actually a week after), I knew that would be how. We had always talked about Pixar and how amazing their movies are so it seemed fitting that if I couldn’t get Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner to participate in my proposal (it's not too late for the wedding, you two!) then through Pixar movies would do.
So each clue was attributed to a Pixar movie. I derived from this for the first clue, Paperman, because it was our favorite short by a mile (With Lava -- Sara here, I couldn't find a captioned video online, but go out and buy a copy of Inside Out then you'll have to watch the short! -- a close second now) and the romance behind the story of Paperman seemed like a fitting way to start it off.
I expected her to take a hour or so with the scavenger hunt I had set up, only to find out through Fiona she was done in about 20 minutes or so. Taylor had texted me asking what time, and I thought since she had a late start, that he wouldn't be needed until 2:15. I underestimated my still-then girlfriend's knowledge as she was done by 1:50. I should have made them harder and have one of the clues to tell her to find some ant colony outside (A Bug’s Life).
Since I told Taylor to come by 2:15, I was thinking she would arrive by 3:20 or so after Fiona texted me her whereabouts at around 3. I knew where they were and estimated I had around 5-10 minutes before she would arrive at the final spot so I ended up casually talking with Toby, who did a tremendous job reaching out to two other photographers who were assisting.
That was when I saw her.
Not in the distance like I would have thought.
No. She was literally 50 feet away and already looking at us.
“Hide. Hide.” I discreetly cut off Toby.
No. She was literally 50 feet away and already looking at us.
“Hide. Hide.” I discreetly cut off Toby.
He had the face of a surprised cat who just discovered wet food for the first time and immediately went for cover (he had a blanket around him). I shuffled to the beach and looked away, but I knew it was too late. She had already seen Toby and I, but she was early!
I had a script in my mind and knew what I'd be saying. Naturally, everything vanished once I saw her. I just put together some words to make some sense and gave her the Adventure Book before popping the question.
The Adventure Book came as a nice surprise as she and my friends in general know I'm not the best artist in the world. That thing could take an artist with all the right supplies a few hours to make. It took me a week and half. I went back and forth to Michaels' over the week to get supplies because I wasn’t sure what I would need, and there were times I wish I could just text Sara because she would have known. Nonetheless, I was impressed with how nicely it came together. It didn't suck and for that I was elated with the end result.
I had a script in my mind and knew what I'd be saying. Naturally, everything vanished once I saw her. I just put together some words to make some sense and gave her the Adventure Book before popping the question.
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| Photo: Samantha Liddick//Sami Lee Studio |
The plan took me a few days to get together; I had an idea in my mind on how it would map out. That changed a bit when trying to put it down on paper. I knew I wanted some of our friends and family involved but I had carefully thought about who exactly would be a part of this. Her parents were an important group I wanted to include, my sister was the first to know I wanted to propose, and Taylor was a childhood friend. Sara had pointed out that she had never ridden with him so I knew that would be a perfect opportunity! Fiona was a great help as she would know what Sara wanted and if she would like it or not. I had thought about having more of our friends be involved and utilizing more Pixar clues but at the same time, I wanted to let her have the opportunity to tell them the good news so I kept it within that group.
After two months of some discreet lying, hiding some mail, and one incident where I drove to my home to clear my internet history, I could finally tell her EVERYTHING.
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| THE INCREDIBLE HOME MADE ADVENTURE BOOK BY TAYLOR! Photo: Toby Fitch//Toby Fitch Studios |
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