Engaged

Yes, that's right, the last single girl in Nebraska is engaged!

Not Jersey proposed to me on March 5 at the Hilo Public Library. My mom, sister, and niece Lily were present. It was perfect.

After Not Jersey bent the knee, Mom snapped a few pictures. Hilo library has a beautiful courtyard. I asked the janitor if we could take pictures in the courtyard. I failed to mention I was also a library employee. He said, "No can."

We didn't have much time for pictures anyway. We had a celebratory dinner at Cafe Pesto.

The engagement was not a surprise. Like adults, we discussed marriage and decided it was right for us. I asked Not Jersey if that meant we were engaged. He said, "NO! I have to do it proper."

A few weeks later we shopped for rings. I tried on the moderate diamonds. Not Jersey bought the ridiculously large diamond.

I love my ring. I will never be bored in my life again. I can stare at it for hours. It is the most beautiful diamond ever.

My ring gets a lot of compliments. My favorite was, "You could land a plane on that."

We immediately started dreaming and planning for our wedding day. It's been a very fun. A friend said succinctly, "It's very strange. You're planning a party that you're not allowed to do anything at except attend."

In our case, we're also planning a week's worth of activities for guests who are visiting from the mainland and other Hawaiian Islands. This morning I was reviewing a friend's Airbnb wish list.

For so much of my life, I dreamed of a wedding. I am getting so much more: a marriage, a best friend, a beautiful life in Hawaii, and a wedding at one of my favorite places in Hilo. Many of our friends will join us to celebrate. It's a dream come true.