How My Husband Proposed in Rome

This is my absolutely FAVORITE travel story yet.

What makes it better than the rest?

Well, there’s snacks involved. And booze. And (almost) wine.

But even more importantly – there’s a lot of love.

 

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One of my friends, Colin (a famed and prolific writer of Top 5 lists) wrote me up his typical top 5 suggestions in preparation for a trip to Rome.

And on my first real visit to the European continent, my then-boyfriend and I made a whirlwind tour of the city checking out all the must-sees: the older, the prettier, and the wine-ier, the better. (Full disclosure: There was a LOT of wine – and pizza)

Day by day, we’d been knocking through Colin’s Top 5 list, and it came time to see the sunset at Gianicolo Hill.

it’s not wine (BOOO) but I had to try Peroni

We found a little convenience store in Trastevere and bought some snacks, a bottle of wine with an opener, and started the hike up the hill.

(The first and only physical exertion of the trip that required more effort than pouring a wine or lifting a gelato. It was tough.)

Eventually, we reached the top, and were surprised by a beautiful fountain. I changed our seats about four times, before finally settling on a bench looking out over the city.

I started munching on some weird chips we bought.

I couldn’t figure them out – they were pepper AND mint flavor. Not peppermint, pepper like capsicum and mint like toothpaste. Who thinks of these things?! Were they good or were they bad? I’m a connoisseur of unique chip flavors after living in Asia (here’s looking at you, seaweed), but these were… just strange.

While I investigated the strange chips, my boyfriend tried to open the bottle of wine.

But somewhere in the short hike from the convenience store to the sunset lookout, the wine opener had been lost.

I laughed, and continued chowing down on my snacks. (hey what can I say, beer makes me hungry and he wasn’t interested in trying them)

He fumbled around in his pockets, checking the snacks bag, his coat, my coat, everything.

The wine opener was not found.

And then…

Then he got down on one knee.

Oh boy.

Tears sprung to my eyes and I jumped to my feet, while he asked me to be his wife. With words much more poetic than that, but I was so excited and emotional I honestly can’t remember a word he said.

I stared at the most beautiful ring I could have imagined. He designed it himself, and had it set with a blue diamond (my favorite color). The shape is an infinity, like our love that lasts forever. I was stunned by his thoughtfulness and how he so perfectly captured me, my style, us, and everything I’d ever want in a ring.

Oh yeah. And I said yes,

of course.

teary eyes for me

I have a tendency to tear up when I’m really really happy – I’ll admit I cried more than I would have liked.

I was (and am) overwhelmingly excited to marry the love of my life, my best friend, my partner in crime, my biggest supporter, and my hero.

just insanely happy

It was the happiest moment of my life.

And

I’ll never forget those ridiculous pepper and mint chips in Rome.

What’s your favorite travel story?