First Meeting
We first met as freshmen at University of Delaware. As luck would have it, the powers that be within the university housing office saw fit to place us both across the hall from each other. Neither of us can quite remember the exact moment we first met amidst all of the hubbub of being at school for the first time, but we were frequently spending time together, going to events, and hanging out regularly along with our group of closest friends (affectionately known as the “E1 Funky Bunch”) at school.
Throughout our time together at school, we remained close friends. In the summer before senior year, we lived together in an off-campus house together along with our friend (and now maid of honor) Leslie.
Fake Dating
At a Phillies Game Fake Date, 2007
It wasn’t until a few summers after graduating that the two of us began spending a lot of time together. Colin asked Liz to join him at a few family weddings and we spent a lot of weekends visiting each other. We call this period of our relationship as when we were “fake dating,” in that we weren’t yet a couple, but it would’ve been easy for anyone else to guess otherwise from the amount of time we were spending together.
Early in 2008, Colin received a job offer in San Francisco, CA, and we made our feelings for each other known before it was time to leave. We started dating and spent eight months dating long distance before Liz was able to join Colin in California.
Getting Engaged (Colin’s Side of the Story)
On December 19, 2009, I took Liz to the Renegade Craft Fair in the Fort Mason area of San Francisco. After perusing the fun cards, paintings, knick-knacks, books, scarves, and other fun gifts and crafts on sale, we shared a lunch of hot dogs and Diet Coke (at least the hot dog part is one of my favorite things).
Golden Gate Bridge, May
When we’d had enough of the craft fair and picked up a few Christmas gifts for friends and family, Liz thought we should head back to the bus, but I was able to convince her to take a walk around the Fort Mason park. I don’t think she had any clue as to my intentions, but I was starting to notice the ring box chaffing my leg through my sock more and more.
Yes, in my sock. You see, San Francisco has notoriously fickle weather. Though it had been pretty cold for three or four days running, on the Saturday of the craft fair, it was muggy and balmy for December. When we were getting ready to go out, Liz suggested I don’t bring my coat. The coat with the deep pockets. In which I intended to hide the obnoxious ring box. Hmm. Liz suggested a specific sweater I should wear. One that had no pockets. In a quick decision, I decided the best thing to do would be to stuff the ring box down my sock, secure it with some rubber bands, and hope for the best. She’d never notice!
And she didn’t. On our walk through Fort Mason, while admiring the foggy and overcast view of the Golden Gate Bridge, I found a good spot for us to sit down and talk for awhile. After agonizing over the most appropriate time to do it, I got down on one knee, took a ring box out from my sock, opened it up, and promptly fumbled the ring into woodchips beside the path. At a loss for words, I found the ring, and was able to mumblingly ask Liz if she would marry me. She said yes! And here we are 🙂
Moving Back Home
After nearly three years out west, we determined it was time to move back to the east coast. We set out on a cross-country road trip through twelve states in our trusty, rented moving van, “Prince Beast.” After a few months of moving around and juggling obligations, we are finally a bit settled and living with Liz’ brothers in Audubon, NJ while planning the wedding.