They met in the City of Brotherly Love...

She was from Kansas and he was from Seattle. She was a nurse and he was a student. In the fall of 2011, Steph and Mike were each enjoying an evening out with friends in Old City. Despite coming from different places and pursuing different careers, there was an immediate connection between them the moment they first met. As they got to know each other over the coming months, they quickly became inseparable and fell in love.

I had two tickets...

for my girlfriend and me to hear an obscure acoustical band called Steve Kellogg and the Sixers at World Café Live, a small music venue in Philadelphia. At the last minute she was held at work, so I had an extra ticket. Having recently met Mike, I decided to ask him to join me at the last minute.

As we texted each other a few times at this point, I knew he had been finishing up exams and thought that he might like a break from studying. He gladly accepted my invitation. 

The unplanned date turned into an amazingly fun night. After the concert, we found ourselves at Rouge, grabbing a bite to eat and enjoying a long conversation before calling it a night as the restaurant closed.

I guess it was a good date as we met the following five nights in a row, enjoying dinners, watching a movie, seeing another concert featuring one of his favorite bands... We had such a great time and couldn't get enough of each other. And our relationship continued to grow after those first six wonderful days. 

She thought it was just another early morning...

workday when I woke her up at 5:00am on a Wednesday. Little did she know that today would be the start of a new chapter in her life.

From the day that I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her, all I could think about were proposal ideas. Should I include families? Should I do it in New York? When was the right time and where was the right place? I knew it had to be intimate and in a place we would always remember as where we started our lives together. After scouring the globe and talking with friends about potential locations, I selected Nicaragua's Emerald Coast.

After a few short hours, we were at the resort and the day was preceding as planned. We took a dip in the ocean, relaxed at the spa and enjoyed some delicious local cuisine. On the way back to our Bohio, I suggested that we enjoy a cocktail out on our balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean at sunset. When she slid open the doors, her eyes sparkled at the candle-lit lanterns and flowers petals covered the deck. She instantly knew this was a moment she would remember the rest of her life. When she turned around, I was on my knee with the ring in hand...

I had a speech prepared, but all I remember saying was "Will you marry me?" She immediately said "Yes!"