MY LITTLE SISTER GOT ENGAGED!!!!

OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!  MY LITTLE SISTER IS ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHATTTT!????

Guys, I just got back from my 2 week vacation in Vietnam and Thailand and it was just INCREDIBLE!!! The first week was kinda rough but I ended up easing into our vacation and ACTUALLY relaxing the final few days. Then…we had to jump back on the plane (26 hrs of travel – BRUTAL) and get back to reality!

Anyway, I want to catch you up on the proposal and how it happened…because it involved me rock climbing for the first time and screaming through a pitch black cave. But it was all worth it because…well, let’s just get into it!

For the surprise engagement, we (me, Sam, Jackelyn, Nick) and went to Railay in Thailand – a popular spot for rock climbers. The idea was that Jackelyn was supposed to think it was just a vacation.

For Sam and I, it was our first time in Thailand ever, and we were taken aback by the beauty of it all. I mean – LOOK AT THOSE ROCKS just jutting out from the ocean. WHAT!

It was SOOOO not easy to sneak past Jackelyn. She is incredibly alert, questions everything, doesn’t let anything slide, plus I’m the worst liar on the entire planet – so pulling off this surprise engagement was EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.

Nick wanted to surprise Jackelyn by having the entire fam climb high up into a pitch black cave together, then emerging out the other side and proposing on the beach afterwards! The plan was set and solid…until…we saw HOW HIGH THE CLIMB WAS. Sam and I had NEVER EVER climbed in real life before so we were TERRIFIED. Once we saw how high it was, Sam pulled Nick aside and was like “DUDE YOU SAID IT WAS BEGINNER!!!!!”

It was bad. Now Nick was upset, Sam was upset, and the plan was ruined…

…or was it?

I decided to face my fears for true love, so I told Nick and Sam that I would go on the climb and Sam would meet us on the beach later. Plus, that way Jackelyn would never think a proposal was on the cusp since one member of the familia was missing! She had previously emphasized to me that if she were going to get proposed to – all 4 of us needed to be together!

Here’s me climbing outdoors for the very first time with ropes and all that jazz. It’s not scary if you don’t look down!!!! (And I looked down quite a lot.)

The climb was tough and I stopped a bunch of times because I couldn’t figure out how to place my feet and my hands in the right places. Nick was on top pulling the rope and Jackelyn was coaching from below, so eventually, I made it up.

Once all 3 of us were up, this is the cave we had to climb into. Literally pitch black. We had to use actual headlamps. You could even hear bats chirping or squealing or squeaking or whatever bats do. Ugh. The things I do for love.

Yes the climb was nerve-racking but I was way more nervous about TIMING!!!! We needed to get out of the cave on time to catch golden hour, to catch a good tide, to have Nick bend down on one knee in literally the EXACT LOCATION Sam and I scouted the day before so that Sam could secretly film the proposal at the perfect angle without Jackelyn noticing anything!

Someone had put bamboo ladders inside the cave, so that’s how we got through some difficult parts. Very helpful I must say.

Here’s my dirty butt after falling and sliding down a rock. Sister thought it was funny so she took a pic.

Almost out! LOOK at that view!!!

CAVE SELFIE!!!!

This was the location that Sam and I had scouted the day before. Tide looked perfect. Sun looked perfect. Perfect. Just perfect.

I had Nick take pics of me and Jackelyn here so that Jackelyn would be in “picture mode”. Nick and I switched places for photos, and that’s when I saw Sam hiding in the jungle behind a rock. Everything was perfect.

The time was NOW.

Well you guys…WE GOT JACKELYN GOOD. SHE WAS SHOCKED!!! Shocked I tell you!!! When Nick bent down on one knee and asked my sister to marry him with the sunset glowing behind them – IT WAS A MOMENT. Jackelyn started wailing, Nick was smiling ear to ear, Sam was filming AND army crawling out from behind a huge boulder after waiting around in the jungle for my spotty location updates via DM, and I was capturing the entire thing on camera. SUCCESS. WE DID IT.

CONGRATS NICK & JACKELYN!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

Jackelyn, I remember when we were kids and you would tear out ring advertisements from the magazines and then cut the edges nicely so you could tape them to your bedroom wall like posters! You’ve waited for this for so long…

A relationship that wouldn’t hold you back – instead one that would push you to your limits.

A love that wouldn’t require sacrificing who you were to make it work – instead one that would require you to be yourself to the fullest to make it thrive.

A partner who wouldn’t put his priorities before yours – instead one who would make YOU his only priority.

My heart is giddy with pure happiness for Jackelyn and Nick! All 4 of us are going to officially be a FAMILIA!!!!!

Also, here’s a closeup shot of Jackelyn’s ring (left) and my ring (right). Nick designed Jackelyn’s ring with an emerald cut diamond and pink cluster diamonds on the side so that we could have sister rings! Ya know, different but the same. I love it!!!!

Hope you guys are having a beautiful holiday season. I will be announcing our new year’s challenge the day after Christmas on December 26th. PREPARE. It’s gonna be GOOD.