She Said Yes!
I had just passed an important exam in Boulder, Colorado a few days before so the looming stress was finally melting away. It was a different kind of cold than this LA native is used to but I was excited to be snowed-in with Andrew in Utah. It’s one of my favorite places!
The National Parks are so incredibly vast and quiet. Even though my favorite time to visit is in late summer for the red rock sunsets and ominous thunder and lightning shows, winter in Utah is a different kind of special. That being said, it takes a very special person to get me up and out onto a freezing, snowy trail. I can always count on Andrew to hype me up AND make me a coffee in the morning.
Arches NP is a favorite of mine. The first time we hiked to the Delicate Arch I was in disbelief. In my head I thought it was tiny! (It’s not. Zoom in!). I knew I wanted to see it again, so we agreed to go out and try. The snow stopped, the sun peeked through the clouds and the park opened up. We made our way up and to our delight, we arrived at an almost completely private viewing of the Delicate Arch. I sat on a rock and soaked in the view of the Arch and all its glory. I had no idea what was about to happen. Andrew cleverly set up his camera, switched on a timer and came over to me with a small handwritten note that had little engagement rings drawn at the bottom. I looked up and he got down on his knee and asked me to share the rest of our lives together.
There were tears, laughter, and lots of hugs up there at the Arch. We made our way down and back into town to share the good news with our friends and family and eventually continued our road trip back home (with a celebratory stop in Vegas, of course). I love knowing that even though our bodies may age, our love and the beautiful landscape of the National Parks will always be the same.
I love you, Andrew.
- Jenn
We’d been here before. That time it was hot and the trail to the Arch was much busier. We weren’t sure if we’d make it here. We sat in the car and waited out the snow. We shared Hot Cheetos with a crow. The snow stopped and we shuffled up the rocks, over the snow pack, and enjoyed the quiet of the eroded amphitheater.
I set up the tripod like usual and asked Jenn to marry me, to start our next great adventure together.
I Love You, Jenn.
-Andrew