Day 17: My Favourite Memory

How does one choose one memory out of a lifetime of memories?! I have done quite a few memorable trips, such as the three-week long journey with 50 other aupairs across America, safari in South Africa or my first ever visit to New York. Matriculation, the formal process through which you officially become a student at Oxford, and my graduation ceremony a couple of years later, while dressed in subfusc*, are special memories too.

But one of my favourite memories that I haven't told you about yet (except very briefly) is when Peter proposed to me! As you may remember it took place on our Maldivian holiday at the end of March-beginning of April this year. I did have some expectations before we went that maybe this would be the holiday - but I had been disappointed before on romantic occasions at home or on trips so I didn't want to have too big hopes.

Why didn't you just propose yourself, the modern women among you might ask? Well, in many ways I had already done so. Many times. Maybe not by going down on one knee and asking the question out right, but suffice to say, I had made it clear to Peter several times what I wanted and that I was ready. The ball was in his court and had been for a long time. I also knew he needed time still and that I had to be patient.

But boy, was that hard. 2009 was quite tough for me because I knew and had known for a long time that this was the man for me, no one else. Knowing that that very person does not know (yet) is not easy on the heart. At the same time, I knew deep inside, at the bottom of my heart, that he would figure it out, that it was what he wanted too but that he just needed time - Peter is the kind of person who doesn't take decisions lightly, whether they are about buying a new flatscreen television or life decisions (and for that I love him as well)**. But I couldn't be 100% sure of course and that was difficult. We had some difficult talks from time to time but at the same time our life together was so good, so it wasn't like I was unhappy most of the time, far from it. But since times were so good it also made me more frustrated; why couldn't he see that we're meant to be together?!

So towards the end of the year I gave him an ultimatum, well, sort of one - I don't know if I'd ever gone through with it but... luckily we never have to find out :) With a new year arriving it felt like we, or I, was at a crossroads. I couldn't imagine life without Peter but at the same time I knew I really wanted children and since I wasn't getting any younger I - and he - had to realise that we were perhaps wasting each other's time and that we could be happy with and have a family with someone else***. So I told him, maybe not directly but indirectly, that he had until Easter; at that point we would need to have a serious talk about the future.

Fast-forward a few months. We're on a gorgeous holiday on a paradise island. And he has me waiting until the last morning!! When we arrived we said we would get up early (around 6am) one morning to watch the sunrise. Peter seemed to steer this to the last morning, which made me a bit suspicious but as I mentioned above, while I had hopes I didn't want to have any expectations. But I can't say the thought wasn't on my mind almost all the time :)

The last morning arrives, we get up and what greets us?! Clowds completely covering the sky. We went to the supposedly best spot to watch the sunrise anyway - the only other people out was a lone surfer and a couple that looked like a younger version of Kim Jong Il + girl - but it was so clowdy we weren't even completely sure if the sun had rose or not. So a bit of anticlimax in terms of romantic setting. But, who cares, as Peter was about to bring sunshine into my life anyway!

How did it happen? Peter told me to turn around and face him, and that's when I was at least 99% sure it would happen. And then he said (not his exact words but..) "sorry I have taken so long...will you marry me?".

I said yes of course!

Waiting for the sun that never was and the proposal that is about to come, even though I didn't know it yet

Just engaged!


Sealing the deal with a kiss

* Sitting exams dressed in subfusc is quite memorable too...

** I think everyone's speeches at our wedding alluded to this personal characteristic of Peter and how patient I had been :)

*** While I can't imagine being with someone else - of course - I do believe that there could be several "soulmates" out there; there's not just one person for each of us in the universe