She said yes!!!

How to begin.... I've been planning the proposal for a while. I've been nervous for weeks about how and when would be the best time, what ring to choose, and what to say. If you know me, and you've been around me since my graduation from the GreenMBA, it's apparently been written all over my face because countless friends and family (except Devon thank God) has called me out. (If you were one of those intuitive folks, thank you all for supporting me, giving me guidance, and for not spilling the beans.)

With the spotty weather we've experienced in Thailand during the monsoon season, and with so many opportunities to propose in the future (on an elephants back in Chiang Mai, on a river boat along the Mekong River in Laos to name two others), I wasn't sure I would do it until the day of. But as the day unfolded and the weather held true, and because I've been hiding the ring on my person the entire trip, I decided to pull the trigger and relieve myself of the excitement, nerves, and love that I had been bottling up until then.

We spent the the first part of the day on a tumultuous longboat ride to Koh Phi Phi Ley (the small uninhabited twin island of the more popular Koh Phi Phi Don where we were staying). I laughed as Devon squealed as the waves almost came over our boats starboard side. I laughed because I was more afraid of what was to come than the waves.

Once we had made it to the calm side of the island I spent the rest of the tour bouncing between being completely distracted by the beauty and grandeur of the shear cliffs covered in rain forest and intense nervousness about what I would say and where. I never was able to create a plan because I had never seen where we were going, and every time I thought of what to say I would freak out a bit. The words were never right, and the moment was never perfect enough in my head.

As we jumped in the water to brave the waves crashing against the rocks next to the stairs to "The Beach" I was clutching the ring with one hand, camera in the other. In hindsight this may have been stupid, but my emotions had taken over and I was NOT going to loose the ring and I was determined to capture the moment. Luckily I'm a strong enough swimmer, and was able to get on land.

Once on the beach I was dismayed by all of the people that were there, but as luck would have it they all left, save the two that came with us and one other after about ten minutes. It was then, and only then that I knew it was the right moment. I convinced her to walk to a quite piece of the beach instead of go swimming. I had to dodge the trash at the end of the beach and managed to find a little corner of sand with an awesome view and no one around. I told her I loved her and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life by her side. She anticipated the moment and attempted to slow me down by kissing me continuously, but I managed to finish what I had to say, took the ring out of my back pocket, opened the now soaked ring box, got on one knee and asked her to marry me. I was shaking, and I felt as though my life was in her hands.

She said yes and made my dream come true. I was the happiest and most relieved I have ever been in my life. I had captured a perfect moment for the most perfect woman in my life and it could not have gone better.

I'm still high from the emotion and I can't wait for the adventures to come.

--Breen