once upon a time...

am i there yet?

i would ask that question to myself quite a few more times before i arrived at my final destination.

the 400 mile roadtrip from greensboro, north carolina to hebron, ohio was never exciting, but this particular one was torturous.

you see, this trip was going to be special. besides the normal bag of clothes and other traveling necessities, i was carrying an investment - both monetary and symbolic of a deeper emotional connection.

an engagement ring.

i was going to ask Ashley to marry me.

normally, guys rack their inferior brains to concoct the perfect scenario for this moment.

me, i had a plan.

a picnic.

at dawes arboretum.

by the japanese gardens.

her favorite.

(later i would learn that she knew i was going to propose because i actually volunteered to take her on a picnic - something i evidently didn't do very often.)

but mother nature - rain in the forecast - and my patience would get in the way.

i finally got to hebron, right as her parents and niece were going to bed. i excused myself from Ashley (an entirely believable, "I need to use the bathroom"), only to sneak into her parents' bedroom and ask their permission to marry Ashley.

"are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into?"

"once you take her, you can't give her back."

after a few silent laughs and a unanimous "yes," i went back out to Ashley, ring in pocket.

i got down next to her and gave a schpeel about how "it's not about doing it the perfect way, it's about finding the perfect person" as a grin snuck onto her face.

two years to the day later, i'm as happy with her answer as i was that night.