The Proposal
During fall of 2008, Jacob and I took an amazing 18 day trip to Japan. Most of our time was spent in Tokyo, but we did take a three day side trip to visit Kyoto, and see all of the amazing temples there. Unfortunately, our trip coincided with a Typhoon, so we spent the first two days walking around the city in pouring rain. However, it didn't stop us from enjoying our time there, and seeing some of the most beautiful structures I've ever been lucky enough to stand in front of.
They say every cloud has a silver lining, and Typhoon clouds are no different. Typhoons are always followed by one day of perfect weather. The Japanese even have a word for it - they call it Nihonbare. And that is what our last day in Kyoto was. A gorgeous, cloudless, perfect sunny day. We set out early and headed to Ginka Kuji, or the Silver Temple. We arrived just before they opened the gates, which meant that we had about an hour to roam the amazing manicured gardens all by ourselves, before a single other tourist showed up. After that, Jacob and I walked along the Path of Philosophy - a small path, dotted with shrines, that runs through quaint japanese towns.
When we reached the end of the path we took a cab to Kyomizudera. Kyomizudera was Jake's favorite sight from his last trip to Kyoto. After hearing about it for three years, it was the temple I was most looking forward to seeing. It is built into the side of a mountain, with amazing views of the whole city of Kyoto. One of the things you can see at Kiyomizudera is Jishu Jinja, or the Love Shrine. Jishu Jinja is two stones, about 18 meters apart from each other, and it is said that if you can close your eyes and walk safely from one stone to the other, then you will find true love. Jacob asked me if I wanted to try and walk. I was a little bit skeptical at first, because there didn't seem to be anyone else doing it, but there were a million people walking back and forth between them to get to the souvenir stalls that lined either side. I was pretty sure that if I tried I would just walk head first into people. Jacob promised that he would make sure I didn't, so I closed my eyes and started walking. Jacob gave me directions so I stayed in a straight line, and helped me to avoid the crowds of people crossing. When I reached the second stone and opened my eyes, he was down on one knee in front of me holding up the most beautiful ring. He asked me to marry him, and because I wasn't sure I could talk I just nodded and gave him a hug. I don't think I've stopped smiling since.
The Bling
I heart my ring. It's a brilliant cut solitaire diamond in a six prong platinum setting with a knife edge band. Jacob picked it out with absolutely no input from me, and I couldn't imagine anything more perfect.
