Alex and I met the summer of 2008 after my first year of college at Georgia Tech. I've already told you guys about how we met, at his fraternity one random night. He really came into my life at the time I needed him most. I was not in a very good place; partying way too much and not caring about my future. I went to Georgia Tech with a dream of finding a nice, slightly nerdy boyfriend who would appreciate me and be my best friend. I didn't really have real boyfriends in high school, constantly feeling pressured by any boys I tried to date. I thought college would be different.
Well I was wrong (at least for me). I didn't meet anyone right away (despite Tech's 3:1 guy to girl ratio) and increasingly got down on myself as the months passed. Guys still seemed to want only one thing that I was not willing to give. I told myself that my personality probably just sucked. My negative self-esteem was only compounded by my hard classes and poor grades. Instead of facing my problems, I threw myself into partying and hanging out with friends.
I met Alex in the midst of all this, which is why I was so mean to him at first. I had convinced myself that all guys only wanted one thing, and that Alex was no different. I demoted him to makeout buddy (of which I had a few) and ignored his attempts at trying to date me. The breaking point for us was when he asked me to his fraternity's semi-formal one night and I drunkenly let my guard down for one second and said yes. In the light of day, I returned to my jaded thoughts and decided that I couldn't go with him, it would only give him the wrong impression. A few days before his semi-formal I Facebook messaged him and told him I couldn't go. I honestly thought I was doing him a favor, saving him from the messed up person that I was.
Understandably Alex was very upset and we didn't talk for months. At the end of that fall semester all my problems caught up to me and I received the worst grades I have ever gotten in my life. I was put on academic probation and told I could not return to Tech for two semesters. This was obviously a huge wake-up call for me. I enrolled at a community college that spring and tried to pick up the pieces. My personal turning point was an English class that I took. Reading has always been my absolute favorite thing to do, although I'd forgotten that with all my math and science classes. For the first time in ages, I found myself enjoying and understanding a class. I had meaningful contributions to make that were appreciated and welcomed. Bit by bit my self-esteem and confidence started to return.
Around that time I reached out to Alex again. I felt bad about the way things had ended between us, remembering how kindly and respectfully he had always treated me and how genuinely happy he had always been to have me by his side. I explained to him about how I had been in a very bad place the past year, and that I was working on myself now. We slowly started texting and before long we were texting every day nonstop. When he asked me on a date a few weeks later, I said yes. We went on a few dates that spring before making it official May 14th of 2009. I still remember Alex coming to pick me up in his beat-up old junkyard car that he literally bought because I was living at my parent's home in Roswell (about 30 mins from Atlanta). It had no AC but Alex didn't care, he would show up dripping and I thought it was so funny but sweet. (He has a car with AC now!)
So yeah, that's pretty much our story! I returned to Tech that fall, initially planning on returning as a Biology major. Alex is the one who told me about STaC (Science Technology & Culture), which is basically Georgia Tech's version of an English major. He was with me when I called my parents and told them that I had switched to STaC, and was not going to be a doctor. They were understandably upset and disappointed, but I assured them that I had a plan and that I would be doing a pre-law certificate in order to pursue law school. After that they came on board. Now I'm about to start my last year of law school! Through it all, Alex has always been on my side, believing in me more then I believe in myself. He always calls me his "little lawyer" and tells me how beautiful I am. All I can say is, I wish I could see myself through his eyes just once lol.
Around that time I reached out to Alex again. I felt bad about the way things had ended between us, remembering how kindly and respectfully he had always treated me and how genuinely happy he had always been to have me by his side. I explained to him about how I had been in a very bad place the past year, and that I was working on myself now. We slowly started texting and before long we were texting every day nonstop. When he asked me on a date a few weeks later, I said yes. We went on a few dates that spring before making it official May 14th of 2009. I still remember Alex coming to pick me up in his beat-up old junkyard car that he literally bought because I was living at my parent's home in Roswell (about 30 mins from Atlanta). It had no AC but Alex didn't care, he would show up dripping and I thought it was so funny but sweet. (He has a car with AC now!)
So yeah, that's pretty much our story! I returned to Tech that fall, initially planning on returning as a Biology major. Alex is the one who told me about STaC (Science Technology & Culture), which is basically Georgia Tech's version of an English major. He was with me when I called my parents and told them that I had switched to STaC, and was not going to be a doctor. They were understandably upset and disappointed, but I assured them that I had a plan and that I would be doing a pre-law certificate in order to pursue law school. After that they came on board. Now I'm about to start my last year of law school! Through it all, Alex has always been on my side, believing in me more then I believe in myself. He always calls me his "little lawyer" and tells me how beautiful I am. All I can say is, I wish I could see myself through his eyes just once lol.
We knew we wanted to get married pretty early on. We actually got promise rings about a year and a half after we started dating to signify that we would get engaged one day. My parents really wanted me to finish school before I got married, and I didn't want a super long engagement. Since we are both graduating next spring we started engagement ring shopping a couple of months ago. We honestly just wanted to get a feel for what was out there and weren't planning on buying anything that first trip, but then I found my perfect DREAM ring at Brown & Co. Jewelers!! It is a vintage estate ring that I literally took one look at and said that's the one! It has a 1-carat round cut diamond with two 0.25 pear-shaped diamonds on either side in a platinum band setting. I loved it because my promise ring is a rose with two pear shaped petals, and I thought this engagement ring looked a bit like that, but in diamond form.
Once we had the ring, Alex went ahead and asked my dad's permission (who of course said yes!). Then, it was all up to Alex to surprise me. This was honestly the summer of engagements, as couple after couple kept getting engaged on Facebook. We didn't want to rain on anyone's parade by getting engaged too closely, so we had to wait a few weeks. I knew it was going to happen this past Saturday because he told me he had something special planned and to keep all day free.
He picked me up at noon and took me to Piedmont Park for a picnic in the grass. It was honestly perfect, he had salads for us and sandwiches, followed by pudding for desert. He also poured some wine in a water bottle so we sipped that as well. After that we went to the Botanical Gardens, which by that point I was freaking out because I knew it was going to happen! Here are some pics from our visit:
Once we had the ring, Alex went ahead and asked my dad's permission (who of course said yes!). Then, it was all up to Alex to surprise me. This was honestly the summer of engagements, as couple after couple kept getting engaged on Facebook. We didn't want to rain on anyone's parade by getting engaged too closely, so we had to wait a few weeks. I knew it was going to happen this past Saturday because he told me he had something special planned and to keep all day free.
He picked me up at noon and took me to Piedmont Park for a picnic in the grass. It was honestly perfect, he had salads for us and sandwiches, followed by pudding for desert. He also poured some wine in a water bottle so we sipped that as well. After that we went to the Botanical Gardens, which by that point I was freaking out because I knew it was going to happen! Here are some pics from our visit:
Ok this is the part where Alex totally surprised me!!! I honestly thought he was going to propose in the Rose Gardens, as he knows thats my favorite part. So I was NOT expecting it when it happened on a bridge with lots of flowers on either side. I was absentmindedly taking pictures of the flowers...
When he said "Patricia, come look at this one!" And I went over there and my ring was in it!!!!! Alex immediately dropped to one knee and proposed, while I grabbed my ring and threw it on! I think I said yes at some point, although I honestly didn't need to! It was perfect.
After that we started calling and texting our friends and family like crazy, before finally continuing on, with me stopping to admire my ring from time to time!
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| lol our attempt at a cute just engaged pic! <3 |
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| The exact flower he put it on!!! |
All in all a perfect engagement! I am so happy to finally be engaged to my man Alex, and I cannot wait to start planning our wedding! We are thinking late summer/early fall next year! I will definitely keep you guys posted!
xo Patricia
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