Biggest news ever!

Hi all.

I know I have some catching up to do. And there is lots to write about.

Road trip to Vegas & the Mountains.

A week at sea as a crab fisherman.

But all this can and will have to wait some more.

Last Wednesday was beautiful. Blue skies, springtime sun and hardly a gust of wind. Phin and I packed a pick-nick of Bagels and white wine, put on some summer clothes and walked out to the beach. Laid down our blankets on the dunes overlooking the ocean and the entrance of the Golden Gate. Poured a glass of the chilled white. Enjoyed a bagel with soft goat's cheese, walnuts and honey. Basked in each others presence, talking about our luck in finding happiness together. Sure we work at the relationship, but we have always felt a certain meant-to-be quality that occludes any minor differences we may have felt along the way. Looking at Phineke I was sure this was indeed the right moment. I had been sure since before Christmas last, but there is a difference between timing in a broad sense and the day, the minute, the moment that something special is about to happen. So while talking about being sure that I wanted us to stay together forever, I got up on one knee. Tried to rehearse the loose collection of lines I had thought of earlier and grab the box from my pocket. Though the words didn't come out as planned, I managed to get the box open and ask:

Phineke, wil je met mij trouwen?

--Phineke, will you marry me?—

Ok rewind a bit. The moment I heard Anne say the words ‘altijd, eigenlijk wel altijd’
--‘always, as a matter a fact always’-- I got a bit giggly and uneasy..Oo gosh, he’s standing up and reaching for something..is this the moment….? O god, yes I think it really is….I felt my hands getting a bit shaky and emotions evolving while he was talking and saying the actual words. Then the ring…oooo my god, this is not real, this is not happening! Wow, there’s a big sparkling diamond!!! The only thing I could do was giggle, almost cry, tears were waiting to burst out. Then I looked at Anne, he was waiting for something…what is he waiting for…Oo I suppose I have to say something now! But he surely knows what my answer is right..? right? Oo from the look on his face he might not….No I don’t think he knows yet… ‘oo Anne, ja dat wil ik wel… natuurlijk wil ik met je trouwen!’ –‘ yes I want to.., of course I will marry you…!’ Oo god that comes out stupid, I’ll just press my lips on his… that’s better.

And so we are engaged….engaged…verloofd….hij is mijn verloofde, I’m his fiancée....how weird is that..I know many people have done it before, it’s one of the most common things in the world, but still, that my turn has come now for me is just amazing…