In December of 2023, Annie and I traveled to Thailand for my sister’s wedding. What an amazing experience having the family abroad and exploring new territory with the people we love. The thought of getting engaged on this trip made perfect sense and the timing had never felt more right.

After roaming around Southeast Asia for a few weeks, we stopped over in Sri Lanka to score some waves and relax beach side. I’m talking about the cleanest, most crystal clear blue waters that generated perfect waves, and serene beaches paired with some tasty local cuisine. Week well spent if you ask me.

We packed our bags, left Sri Lanka and headed over to Paris for a 24 hour layover. This magical, bustling city of love is where I formulated the plan to ask Annie for her hand in marriage. I had chartered a boat on the Seine river, and the day prior I was notified that the river levels were too high to operate watercraft and that the charter had been cancelled. This left me scrambling at the last minute to find an alternative option.

The Eiffel Tower obviously made for an easy transition. We spent the morning touring the Louvre, followed by a pitstop at a vintage shop where literally every single item of clothing we are wearing in our engagement photos came from. This was not planned nor was Annie informed that there would be a photoshoot along with a champagne & cheese board engagement picnic in the park shortly to follow. Glad we stumbled upon that shop — some things really just work out the way that they’re supposed to in life.

Surprisingly, I was not as nervous as one would think on this day. Everything felt natural, right and perfect. What I will say is that I was a bit lost for words when I popped the actual question, so what came out of my mouth after I dropped onto one knee was: “I guess this is where I ask you to be my wife.”