The Engagement... Part One

It was (and wasn't) a complete surprise. We had talked about it, and decided with the busy summer we were about to have (Z taking the bar exam, and getting ready for him to head to Scotland) and then the upcoming travel, it would be wonderful for the proposal to happen in some far off destination (Paris, Stockholm, anywhere fun and exotic). At this point, the plan was that I would come visit him in Europe to type my thesis. And post defense, go out full time to explore until my job - wherever that may be - started.

So an engagement was the last thing on my mind this whole summer; not to mention without a job yet I was wondering how he was going to afford a ring - I would much rather use the savings to travel the World. I was NOT expecting an engagement anytime soon. Surprisingly, I was OK with that.



In June, I went to a conference in Sweden (I was in Goteborg for a week). It was fun. I was homesick. And I had my first, and worst, case of jet-lag ever. I did not sleep at all while I was there. Would just lay in the hotel bed staring at the ceiling hoping to get a few hours of sleep. Needless to say, when I finally landed in the US, I was in a state of utter exhaustion. But Z was there to pick me up!

That whole week after I got home I had a weird feeling. I couldn't pinpoint what it was. I think all the anxiety of the conference had finally hit me, it was my first international talk and I was nervous! And to top it all off, my brother was completely avoiding all my calls - very unlike him. So Z said that the next weekend we should do something fun, to celebrate my talk and also the last fun thing until after the Bar exam. I suggested going to the Grounds for Sculpture (it is one of Z's favorite places) in New Jersey. He talked about it all the time, and I had never been there.

Back to my brother. He was living in NYC for the summer and working at a law firm (he is currently a 3L). My parents had said they were taking my sister and going up to visit my brother over the weekend. I actually really wanted to go and see him. Z kept saying if we wanted after going to we could head up to NY, since we'd be right by the train.


To be continued...