Okay, now what?

So, you’ve made your choice. You chose that job. You chose that person. You chose where you want to live. You chose that lifestyle.

…you happened to be engaged. So I guess a little more about me is that I just got engaged! It has been an exhilarating and fun time for me this past month. So much has happened since and so much more is in the works.

Here’s the short story of the proposal: My now fiancé (still getting used to using that term!) planned it out 6 months ahead of the special day. We had planned to visit Oahu for New Year’s and see my family on the island for the holidays. I was just excited to see some bright fireworks all over the island with my family and the love of my life! I did not expect to see a bright rock on my finger!!!

On New Year’s Eve morning, we decided to hike Diamond Head to see the beautiful view of Waikiki and the city views of the island. As we reached the top and caught our breath, we enjoyed the beautiful view and wanted to capture it. My love asked one of the many people up there, who were also enjoying the view, to take our picture and then a video… And then, to my surprise, he was talking about how amazing our love and time together had been and pulled out the box. He opened the little special box and got down on his knees among the people who were also appreciating the beauty of the views.

Boom! He asked the diamond of all questions. Get it? A stunning diamond on top of the beautiful Diamond Head!!!!

Ecstatic and still a little winded from the hike, we shared so many hugs and kisses after he had gotten back up and placed the beautiful ring on my finger. I do have to admit, standing right at the top surrounded by that many people was a little frightening, but I was just so blushed and teary-eyed from the moment. It was just me and him. <3

Afterward, we enjoyed our time at the top and talked about how it was the most stressful secret that my fiance had to hold for six months and the first half of our trip. As we hiked back down, we chatted about all the instances where the secret almost got out by a couple of our friends. But I did not think he’d do it on the trip, especially on New Year’s Eve… AND on top of Diamond Head!

When we returned from the hike, the first thing we wanted to do was get acai bowls for breakfast. Of course, we talked about how excited we were the entire drive back. We were still excited at breakfast, but coming down from the high and exhilaration, we were both thinking, “Now what?”

Well, later that day, we celebrated with my family and had an amazing New Year’s experience, with so many fireworks and so many memories. That’s when the floodgates of questions opened.

“Did you guys pick a date yet?”

“Where are you having the wedding?”

“Here or there?”

“Date?” …. “This year???”

“Were you surprised?” Surprised yes.

“Did you know he was going to propose???”

… Sometimes I think “How should I answer this one?”

We definitely had talked about wanting to get married and move deeper into our relationship, so yes, I did know he would propose and that we both wanted to be married. But, had no idea when or how, which was the most surprising and beautiful part of it.

Now, we’re in a state of “Now what?” Well, from what we’ve been doing so far, we are just enjoying being engaged. Enjoying the fact that we can now call each other fiances. This is our time to relax while preparing to celebrate our relationship and commitment to each other.

If you find yourself in a “Now what?” phase, it’s the perfect phase to slow down and reflect. Knowing how wedding planning seems to go, it sounds like it’s gonna be a fun and overwhelming phase and experience that I anticipate.

Now enjoy and relax, and realize your progress or how far you’ve come in your next chapter or phase in life. Celebrating progress allows for a deeper appreciation of not just the destination, but the path you’ve chosen.

Consider everything that you’ve chosen in your path. Each step taken, each lesson learned, has contributed to you where you are now. It’s easy to become consumed by what’s next, but taking time to honor how far you have journeyed can foster gratitude and inspire confidence.

Lastly, embrace the present moment. Appreciate the new experiences that come your way, and remain open to change.