March 21, 2017
Brandon and I had been dating for just over 2 years when we studied abroad with Lipscomb University in Florence, Italy for a semester. We traveled to a new country every weekend, and spent weekdays in class in our villa between trips down to our favorite cafe for pastries and gelato.
Just after Brandon’s 21st birthday, around halfway through our trip, our friend from Lipscomb came to visit us in Florence (@jamiepratt). Just after she arrived, Brandon asked me if I wanted to go for a walk up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which was a common occurrence for us during the trip thus far. He was dressed up in his Italian leather shoes and a button down shirt, and suddenly Jamie was nowhere to be found, so I knew something was up.
All of our fellow study abroad group members gathered excitedly around the kitchen window, watching us walk up the short hill to the overlook. On the way up, Brandon talked with me about why we were together and why we loved each other. As we crested the hill and were able to see the breathtaking view of the city, Brandon kept walking past the overlook, continuing up the hill farther than we had ventured before.
I followed along, questioning where we could possibly be going, until he finally turned up a small pathway by a historic church. We strolled into a completely hidden forrest, filled with dark, towering pine trees densely packed to create a silent retreat in the busy tourist city. I have always loved trees, admiring their wisdom and ability to withstand so much. I walked down the path in awe, wondering at how this gorgeous place had been hidden from us this entire trip. (I would later find out that Brandon had come across the place just a couple weeks into the trip while on a run, and had been saving it for this moment.)
As we continued down the path, we came across a pair of playing Bernese mountain dogs and their pregnant owner. We had talked for years about that breed being the ideal choice for our first pet many years down the road, and were ecstatic to see the pups playing in the gorgeous trees. Suddenly we came up on a monument, and Jamie popped out from behind its corner, snapping pictures of us coming down the path.
I turned back to Brandon, realizing what was happening, and watching him drop to one knee and pull out a ring box, finally asking me to marry him. My hands flew to my mouth and I sobbed out an immediate, “Yes!”
