"This is going to be our year!"

Facebook does a year look back of all of the highlights, most commented moments, or photos of the last year. I saw mine a few days ago and it brought back a lot of memories. 2013 has flown by but it has been very full of happy times, sadness and life-changing decisions.

The top on my 2013 Facebook list was my surprise birthday party Gab planned for me the day I flew back to Congo after Christmas vacation. I had never had a surprise party before so it was very special and meaningful. But more than anything else, I remember something Gab said to me. He said, "this is going to be our year..." At the time I don't think he meant 'ours' as in us as a couple but more so 'you' + 'me' in the plural sense. He tends to have intuitions and secret plans about us before I do so he could have meant anything by that statement.

Regardless, I am happy to say that it has been our year as a couple. My capstone "our year" moment came in July. It brought a smile to my face remembering that day and those special minutes surrounding my "YES!" response to Gab's proposal. The cold weather and snow made those happy memories even more warm and cozy thinking of white sand beaches, the crystal blue Indian Ocean and fresh passion fruit juice. But what was even more warm and cozy was that feeling of confidence in my heart when Gab asked me to marry him.

It was a Saturday. We had just arrived in Zanzibar the day prior and being warn out from travel, we relaxed in hammocks by the ocean. I knew that evening Gab had planned an outing. His previous trip to Zanzibar, he and a friend discovered a deserted mangrove forest. We drove about 25mins from our hotel to an abandoned site where some Italian developers yelled at us for trespassing. We eventually reached a channel where we either had to swim across or find a drier means. Thankfully there were some paddle boards on the waters edge and their owners graciously let us slide across to the other side.

I think this adventure leading up to the main event was Gab's final test to see if I really was the one he wanted to marry. First he dressed me in these over sized, men's water shoes. He claimed that I needed to protect my feet. Granted I did but I didn't need to look like a duck in the process. Secondly he didn't tell me where we were going. He acted as though I was to blindly follow him on this excursion wading through channels and hiking through mangroves no questions asked. I did bite my sometimes outspoken tongue and went with the flow.

We arrived to a deserted restaurant on a secluded beach facing west. The sunset was promising to be beautiful. July is 'winter' south of the equator and the ocean wasn't as warm as we would have liked; however, we wanted to take advantage of the scenery, the sunset, and the effort of hiking in so we braved the cold water. A few minutes later Gab said he wanted to set his towel out to keep drying while we were swimming. Unbeknownst to me, he actually went to get the ring he had made in Congo.

He swam up to me in the water distracting me with shells. I wasn't too interested as I was more concerned about staying warm. Gab finally said to me "I made you something..." and held up a gold ring which I eagerly took from him exclaiming "it's so pretty!" I did take note that it was gold and subconsciously asked myself which finger it goes on still not actually clicking that it was all part of a proposal.

I was a bit confused what Gab's point actually was until he finally said, "I want to ask you to be my wife." To which I responded, "are you proposing to me?" When we finally got on the same page, I couldn't have been more than ecstatic and was speechless to the point where Gab finally had to ask me for verbal confirmation. In that moment, I remember feeling every emotion: excitement, relief, joy, but most of all a sense of calm and peace. Bliss.

2013 really has been "our year!" It hasn't been easy. All of our moments haven't been as joyous as those shared at sunset on a tropical island. But at least I can look back and see the steps we have taken, the joy we have experienced, and the love we share. Just like I started the 2013 off with Gab, I am even more excited to finish it off with him as well. I hope 2014 will be only be an extension of "our year."