How is it already Monday again? We had a relaxing weekend, and it was nice to have Justin spend more time with us, rather than having to spend a few hours on his consulting work. I’m looking forward to fewer late nights and more family time! We also finally made it over to Other Half in Ivy City for some beers. Their outdoor space is awesome, and abundant, and the beers, tasty as always. We’re still busy getting the business logistics of Justin’s company together, but every day I feel like we’re making some progress.
I knew of Raymond before I met him because he was nominated to be an Ivy man for my sorority (an honorary male member). The next semester after he was selected, we had a Java class together, and I sat in front of him with a couple of my sorority sisters. I didn’t really know him very well and we only talked a few times. That summer, I went to the Dave Matthews Band Concert in Virginia Beach with my friend, Kayla. She told me she wanted to go meet up with her friends in PIKE, and I told her that we could but not to leave me because I didn’t know anyone. Of course, she left me to talk to the guy she was talking to, and the only person I kind of knew was Raymond, and I felt like he had to at least talk to me since he was an Ivy man. We ended up talking the whole night and then exchanged numbers.
A few days before the proposal, Ray mentioned that we hadn’t had oysters in a while, so he suggested we go to Hank’s Oyster Bar, since that is where we usually go for any date night throughout the year. He asked me to make the reservation, which was typical. The day of, he was so obsessed with the rain, and even drove to Dick’s Sporting Goods to get a nice golf umbrella, which I thought was really extra of him considering there was a 10% chance of rain, but I didn’t think anything else of it. After dinner, Ray kept saying he didn’t want to see our friends yet, who also happened to be going to The Wharf, and suggested we walk around the pier. We were looking at the water and he mentioned that my cousin had asked him to take pictures of The Wharf (which sounds weird but if you knew my cousin, it definitely isn’t) but he was being a pain about it and refused to take them. So I got out my camera and took them instead. As I was taking pictures he said, why don’t we take a picture together since we look nice. Again, not a huge picture guy, so I was pleasantly surprised and excited for him to suggest it. He handed my phone to a stranger and then when he walked back he turned my head toward him and started talking and all I remember saying is, “This is it?!?” and he laughed and I can’t remember the rest haha. I was in complete shock. He got us a night at The Wharf, which is why he was so concerned about the rain because he had already paid for it and had to propose that night, so he wanted to be prepared. Another part that he planned, that I hadn’t thought of, was that our major milestones in our relationship happened near water; our first date, and when I asked him to date me, so he wanted this to be near water too :)
