The story thus far...

Since there's a chance Kenneth might be moving far from family before the wedding, we thought it might be helpful for family to be able to follow along with our wedding planning on a blog. Plus, we've tried sending lots of emails to family... but they don't like being bombarded as much as one would think. (You mean the world doesn't revolve around our wedding? Huh. Weird.) Finally, we want to be able to look back on these in-the-moment observations, dilemmas, and feelings when we're in our 50th year as a married couple. So with that, here we go. Presto-change-o, and now Brianna's triathlon blog is a wedding blog!

According to our sources, the beginning is a very good place to start. Here's how our lives changed on a very hot day in Italy:

After a year of planning and saving, Kenneth was going to propose over breakfast at the Columbia Gorge Hotel in Oregon, a breakfast Brianna had been raving about since they had met. For Christmas 2008, he gave her a card "good for the famous breakfast and trip to the spa" at Columbia Gorge Hotel. Unfortunately, soon after, the historic hotel closed.*

On to plan B. In May 2009, Brianna, her mother, her mother's husband, and Kenneth left for 2 weeks in Italy to celebrate Brianna's graduation from the University of Washington. Kenneth seemed particularly preoccupied with avoiding pick-pockets throughout Italy-- the Rome subway, throughout Florence, while wandering Assisi, and so on.

The trip ended with a special trip to Cinque Terre, a region of 5 villages along the northwest coast with hiking trails between them. The trails opened the way for interaction between villagers from different towns--- including marriages between lovers from two different towns. The trail between two particular villages-- Riomaggiore and Manarola-- is known as Via del'Amore or "The Path of Love." The trail has the names of famous lovers carved into the cliff side-- Romeo & Juliet, Cupid & Psyche, etc. From the trail, every so often there are rickety stairs leading down the cliffs to giant rocks in the water, and Kenneth suggested we go down one to the water. We got up to go, but the setting was very romantic, and they hugged before heading back.

Kenneth stopped though and said "I wouldn't have imagined we'd be here, when we first met 5 years ago. Now, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Before he had a chance to pull a ring out of his pocket (which he had carried with him at all times during the trip-- no wonder he feared pick pockets!) Brianna blurted out "Is this a proposal? Are you proposing right now?" He showed Brianna the ring and asked if she would marry him. She responded "Really!? Yes!"**

*It all turns out well in the end: Kenneth had a back-up plan. As for the Columbia Gorge Hotel, it was bought and re-opened in September 2009.

 

** Why was Brianna so surprised that Kenneth would actually propose? She had been dragging him through museums, on trains and on mad-dash tours through Florence (in 5 hours) and Pisa (in 3 hours, including lunch). Brianna is still trying to understand how eating could ever trump a tour through the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica. Kenneth is still trying to understand how the love of his life, who normally would stop everything for a pasta and wine lunch, could ever say "we don't have time to eat!" We discovered our travelling styles differ, but not until after spending half our time being cranky with each other. Clearly, love really does conquer all... including grumbling tummies