Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Jasper, Alberta, Canada

I am lucky. My life has been extremely fulfilling so far. I've been surrounding by great family, friends and coworkers while being able to visit amazing places around this world. And yet with all of the amazing experiences I've had in my life, I now have a new one that tops them all.

Christina and I traveled to Jasper this past weekend to tour around and visit friends (or so she thought). After some prodding, she discovered that I had booked us a fancy hotel room but the remainder of the details were still only known by me.

Some history for you before the full story. 11:11 is a special time for us. We like to make wishes for the future whenever we notice the time is 11:11. Our first kiss was at 11:11. Everything I ever wished for in our relationship came from a wish at 11:11.

I had planned for our trip to Jasper to be the time I asked her to marry me. When we got there, I still hadn't fully decided on how I would ask her. I had a few ideas that I was from which I was trying to pick. I couldn't really decide on which one would be best, but I knew whatever it was it needed to happen at 11:11.

Saturday morning, I got up at 6am to do my training run (or so she thought). I did run, but it was really an excuse for me to think for an hour about what I was going say.

When I returned to the hotel, I knew what I wanted to say. And with the weather being better than I had expected I had figured out which one of my ideas would work best. I convinced Christina that we should go up the Tram to the top of The Whistlers mountain as soon as we could as the weather was supposed to turn around lunchtime. We skipped breakfast and made our way up. I was trying to make sure we made it up there in time for 11:11am. Before we went up the tram, with everything shaping up how I had hoped, I snuck off into the washroom to get the ring out of my bag and into position in my pocket.

At the top of the tram we stepped out onto the mountain and I mentioned that we should hike a bit higher for a better view of Jasper and the valley. After about 15 mins of hiking, we had reached a beautiful vantage point and thankfully it was about 11:05.

We sat there and enjoyed the view for a few minutes as I slyly checked my phone to see the time. Finally 11:11 came. I showed Christina the time and we both made a wish. I told her I loved her. I told her she made me so happy. We exchanged some words that neither of us can remember. Then I said what I had thought of while running that morning.

"You are my friend"
"You are my partner"
"You are my lover" (she even laughed)
[I got down on my knee] 
"And I hope you will be my wife. Will you marry me?"

She said yes, I and felt happiness like I never knew existed. I wish I could describe it.

I am so lucky.