She Said Yes!

Kristen made breakfast and we were off to our day's sightseeing adventure in Paris. We went to the Eiffel Tower but decided to move on after we learned that the top floor was closed for the day. We stopped by the Tuileries and relaxed for a picnic lunch. Afterwards we walked to the Louvre and spent hours visiting classical works ranging from Da Vinci to an exhibition of Napoleon's Apartments.

After an exhausting day we stopped by a cafe near Place Vendome for a drink and to rest our legs. Then we walked home through a number of amazing neighborhoods and saw the city come to life. This was the day that I fell in love with Paris.

Once we got to our apartment on Boulevard Richard Lenoir we managed to walk up to our seventh floor apartment as the elevator had been broken all week. Kristen made amazing tortellini pasta while I helped to sauté the chicken. We sat on our balcony overlooking the Paris skyline watching the sunset over this amazing city. As we waited for the Eiffel Tower to light up in the distance I couldn't imagine a more perfect moment.

I had planned on waiting to propose until we reached the Amalfi Coast in Italy. I had the ring in my possession and had been carefully hiding it from Kristen. I had been an emotional wreck ever since I had taken possession of the ring. Kristen had noticed and had spent the past week dealing with my shaky emotional state.

As we sat on our balcony and watched the Eiffel Tower light up in the distance, I knew that waiting until the Amalfi Coast was not going to work. This was the special moment. I went inside the apartment and got the ring from its awkward hidden spot. I said a silent prayer and then walked towards our balcony. My heart was beating intensely and my palms were sweaty. I was freaked out. I got on one knee and in a shaky voice asked Kristen if she would marry me. Simple question but I didn't anticipate the response. She burst out in near hysteria. She kept saying "oh my god, oh my god" while I lingered on one knee. I thought that I'd been on my knee for an hour. I tried asking for a second time and got the same response.

Finally, I asked a third time and insisted she please answer the question. She quickly said YES and my heart rate slowly came back to normal. We were engaged and I was in Paris with my fiancée. I could not have dreamt of a more perfect day.