How It Happened - The Inspiration

I still remember being at a wedding with Carly toward the end of February for her cousin Caitlin and her husband Gary. It was the traditional bouquet toss and as Caitlin threw the flowers over her shoulder, I recall thinking to myself how "far to right" the flowers were going. Coincidentally, right into Carly's hands.

The idea of an engagement and marriage was never seriously on my mind. I've told Carly before that I thought of her as "The One" and that marriage was inevitably a matter of time but that time never really had a time frame.

Fast forward to middle of March 2008.

At the company sales meeting in February 2008, it was announced that I made the President's Club trip to the Bahamas. We started getting the agendas and activities planned for the trip. The agenda included:

• Staying at The Cove Atlantis
• Rooms with a view of the beach
• Dinners at fabulous restaurants like Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill
• Swimming with the dolphins
• Sunset sail boat cruise
  

It hit me quickly and suddenly. This trip was going to be something I'll never forget. This trip could be one she will never forget. If I wanted to do something special, I had the best possible environment and situation to do it. I knew she was "the one" and I had the money. . .what was I waiting for? I had to be opportunistic. I had to do the proposal in the Bahamas.