Our story begins August of 2021 during yearbook class. Peyton was accidentally put in the class, and for me, it was my most looked forward to class of the year. We became close friends and the day before we had a field trip for said class, I decided to try and be subtle and I emailed him to "remind him" of the field trip in case he somehow forgot. It only took 36 emails back and forth for him to also try and be subtle and to ask for my number incase I needed something for the field trip.

Our text messages for the next few weeks consisted of me beating him in every iMessage 8ball game, approximately 180 games. Long story short, we finally started dating and never let go of each other since.

But, the story I want to share here is our very chaotic engagement.

Last year, we decided to plan a spur of the moment (or so I thought) trip to Denver Colorado. Peyton, our two roommates and I planned and saved for around 3 months before we went July of 2024. Once we arrived we got to our air bnb, which was not listed to not have any A/C.. we didn't even unpack by the time we managed to get a new airbnb and a refund from the original one. Ended up with the most beautiful place to stay with days packed full of carefully planned adventures.

The last full day there we had planned to go hiking. If anyone knows me, they know I don't hike, or do much of any outdoor activities. So we ended up changing plans and decided to go drive around sight seeing. Amber and I decided to dress up. Her in a dress with heels, me in a cute casual outfit but also with heels. We drove up this mountain side and walked between some trees with a beautiful overlook and I loved it. Spent several minutes there, I was taking my time while Peyton was rushing me to leave, which I got aggravated at because I liked the view. Once he got me to leave, it started pouring. We drove around to a place and parked while waiting for the rain to pass. I was sitting down, completely unbothered and watching Criminal Minds on my phone, somehow not thinking into why Peyton looked like he was about to have an aneurysm because it was raining.

Once it passed, Peyton barely convinced me to climb up this wet mountain side with around 200 stairs carved into it, in heels. The entire way up I was saying I was going to go back, and saying I did not want to climb it. He promised me it would be worth it, and if it wasn't that he would buy me dinner. Of course that worked lol. Once we go to the top and we saw the most beautiful view of Colorado we have seen that entire time, we started taking pictures. I looked to Peyton and said, "You know what would be absolutely hilarious? If we took fake engagement photos and sent them to my dad" STILL having NO CLUE as to what he had been planing. So once I turned around, after I gave him a ring I had on my finger for the pictures, I turned back around to him on one knee, with a ring box, inside which was the most beautiful engagement ring I had ever seen. My first response was confusion on how he got the box, then where my ring went, then that there was a new ring, then that after all this time, it wasn't a fake engagement, it was the most thought out and carefully planned surprise of my life. I of course started bawling uncontrollably with joy.

So now, here we are planning out the rest of our lives together, with a beautiful ring on my finger, and the most loving fiance by my side. Our entire relationship has been a perfect but chaotic string of events, and we can not wait for it to continue forever.

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Clarksville, an IHG Hotel