How We Met
I like to joke and say that we met at “ farm camp .” We met each other in passing at South Carolina Farm Bureau ’ s Youth Leadership Conference in Columbia , and I still remember it like it was yesterday . A few months later we both applied for a Farm Bureau Scholarship where we ran into each other again . After that , we kept bumping into each other , even right on up to college at the University of South Carolina . Unfortunately , during this whole span of time , I was in a relationship , but as soon as I wasn ’ t Mark jumped in and swept me off of my feet ! We began dating the second semester of our freshman year at USC .
Falling In Love
What really made me fall in love with Mark is his personality . He is so much fun ! Every day with Mark is filled with laughter , and that is so mething that I will never take for granted . After ten years of being with him , we are still having fun ! For all of you Friends fans out there , he is my lobster !
The Proposal
For Mark ’ s birthday , I snagged two tickets to Nashville , TN to see Florence + The Machine live at the Ascend Amphitheatre . We had just moved from Columbia , SC to Darlington , SC and were in the process of closing on our first house together . Just days beforehand , South Carolina had fallen victim to catastrophic flooding , closing down most of the roads across the state . We were set to fly out of Charleston on October 9th , and Mark assured me that due to the uncertainty of the roads they would need to leave at 7 am to make our 1 pm flight .
We arrived in Charleston much too early , so we decided to grab some coffee and drive around the city that we used to live in , visiting all of our favorite places . Mark then suggested driving out to an old abandoned boat . This isn ’ t just any boat ; people paint messages on this boat - sometimes even important questions , if you know what I mean . My heart fluttered when I told him that I would like to see it . Once we got to the spot where the boat was , Mark didn ’ t stop ! Not only did he not slow down , but we also didn ’ t even stop . Mark then suggested that we head to James Island County Park . Mark found this park for our dog when we first moved to Charleston , but soon we were running the trails , camping overnight , and swinging . The swing overlooks the marsh and has a gorgeous view . In fact ,
every time we would visit the park , I would refuse to leave until I had a chance to visit “ my ” swing . We pulled in , paid the admission fee , and made a beeline for “ my ” swing . As we approached , we spotted a man in our sacred place , and while I muttered small threats under my breath , the guy suddenly got up and left . Relieved , we marched up and plopped down . Mark wrapped his arms around me and started whispering sweet nothings into my ear . Which if you know Mark , then you are aware that that is very unusual . So there we are , cuddling and romancing when Mark pointed out a crab wandering by on the marsh . With no other instruction , I got up to inspect the crab while Mark followed . I turned around and found him down on his knee shaking and smiling and shaking some more . I leaped back taking it all in , and with the biggest smile , I somehow managed to mutter YES ! We kissed and hugged and kissed some more ! Mark then stepped back and asked me if I had any idea , and as I shake my head no , he pointed me in the direction of a photographer that he had hired for the occasion ( the aforementioned man “ reserving ” the swing ) and said , “ Well he did !” More kissing and hugging followed by a brief photo shoot that no one remembers . We ate tacos and then celebrated in Nashville for the weekend CONTINUED >>
SHEMAGAZINE . COM FEBRUARY 2017 91