THE PROPOSAL

LAKE COMO May 19th, 2018 | The day of the Royal Wedding (the one with Harry and Meghan). Side note: I’m just maybe slightly obsessed with the British Royal Family, and I was a little bummed we missed out on all the festivities in London by about a week. But looking back, I don’t like big crowds so I’m sure this would’ve given me anxiety.

We got into Lake Como around midnight May 18th, checked out our place and then went straight to sleep. We had literally been on the go, nonstop, for a week prior traveling and not wasting a minute in London and Paris. So we were all exhausted at this point. When we got up the next morning (after I checked all internet sources for updates on the royal wedding), we realized we didn’t have much to throw a breakfast together besides the travel snacks I packed before we left California. Also, we were pretty far from the little town below, and we didn’t rent a car, and the public transportation was sporadic. Sure, the pictures on AirBnB of the lake from the balcony are breathtaking, but we didn’t take into account how we were going to get from our AirBnB to the main town of Biosio down below. I guess we assumed the public transportation would be better.

We did the only thing we could do, start our trek downward and hope we come across something. By the time we made it down to the little village, there wasn’t much open. We stumbled upon a small cafe for lunch. We were the only people in there besides the waiter, the owner and what seemed to be 6 of their family members. It was a true family run restaurant. We ate, and then headed next door to the market to pick up some food once the market opened back up after lunch. We stocked up on snacks, enough food for two dinners, wine, cheese, water, ice cream.. you know, the essentials. We might’ve went overboard, not really realizing we had to hike BACK UP the side of the mountain to our AirBnB.

But we made it. We were all pretty sweaty and tired by the time we got back home. I’m pretty sure I B-lined it to my phone (because we only got wifi at our airbnb’s in Europe) to get updates on the royal wedding. They had just got married and the photos and videos were overtaking my instagram feed. I was obsessed with every picture and totally engrossed in my phone, on the bed. The boys were out in the living room; I didn’t really care at this point.

Travis called me into the room with them. My thoughts “Yeah ok, I didn’t come all the way to Lake Como to obsess over my phone and not stare at the gorgeous sights literally right in front of me.”

I walk out to the living room. Ryan was at the table, Alex was on the couch, Travis was on the patio. I walk over to the table, pick up the deck of cards and ask my crew if they want to play cards. Because I thought Travis was calling me in there to hang out with them.

Travis motions me over to the patio railing. We stand there just taking in the sights (me still not understanding whats about to happen).

Also, please note I’m in the shirt I slept in the night before. I have no shoes on. My hair and make up were not done for the first time since we landed in Europe. And Travis, well, he was is in the basketball shorts he slept in the night before and had no shoes on.

I remember standing at the railing taking in the moment of sunshine we got that day; it had been rainy and overcast on and off since we arrived. Travis pointed at a house across the lake, we had been eyeing it the day before. I turned my head to the left to look for the house. When I turned my head back towards Travis, he was getting down on one knee. In true Elise fashion, I said “What are you doing?” he mumbled something about “I know it’s been awhile” then instant tears (me, not him).

I don’t remember what was said after that, but I know the words “yes” and “finally” came out of my mouth before Travis could even get the words “Will you marry me?” out. Much of what happened after that was a blur. I remember Travis putting the gorgeous ring on my finger, embracing me in a hug and kissing me. Under the Italian sun, and overlooking Lake Como no less.