Now we’re social distancing, just Jordan, me, and our corona-induced angst - it’s love in the time of corona. I spent that week wrestling with the thought of proposing: Is it weird to get engaged during a global pandemic? Am I afraid of commitment? Is anxiety a symptom of coronavirus? But I realized there is no one I would rather be quarantined with. I had booked flights for Jordan’s family to surprise him later that evening, but those had to be canceled because of the growing number of cases in New York City. Even though I proposed before the lockdown, the coronavirus still complicated things. Jordan and I had planned on getting engaged sometime late spring or early summer, but the pandemic pushed me do to it sooner. It only felt right to bring him back to that spot, almost five years later, to show him and the world how much he means to me. He tried to kiss me, but I was not 100% out yet and afraid to be seen kissing another man. We had ended our first date with a walk along the waterfront back in 2015. I proposed to Jordan at the Williamsburg waterfront in Brooklyn on March 14. She is on a brief break between monthlong ICU rotations, and it seemed opportune to propose in case she is quarantined or worse, either of us becomes ill. But the vacation was canceled, and Ashley will likely be intubating and caring for patients in the ICU over the coming months during the COVID-19 pandemic. I had initially considered proposing in the summer while on a planned vacation. (I am in emergency medicine and split time between medicine and business, and Ashley is in anesthesia). Why now? Ashley and I are both physicians. There was a photographer milling about who I asked to take a few photos of us - and, to Ashley’s surprise, I pulled out a ring. I proposed on April 1 while Ashley, Ashley’s dog and I strolled through the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center. He knelt down on April 1 and my response was, “Are you serious?” Of course, when I realized this was not an April Fools’ joke, I said yes. Clearly we have different understandings of “essential.” Thankfully Amazon saved the day. The jewelry store he was working with closed because it was a nonessential business. Greg proposed to me at home with a giant light-up plastic ring. Overwhelmed with joy and tears, she said yes! - Michael Goldstein, Albany, N.Y. As we were beginning to pose for the photo, I turned and said “I have something to ask you first.” At this point, I dropped to one knee and asked her to marry me. I scanned the very small group at the summit for someone who looked like they knew how to operate a phone and asked her to take a photograph of us. After 2½ hours up a steady ascent filled with deep anxiety of dropping the ring, we arrived at the summit. I had never hiked a mountain in my life but thought this would be perfect - and since it was her idea, she would never suspect the proposal. My now fiancee, Isabel, loves the outdoors and was feeling the urge to get outside for a nature hike. With the nonessential domestic travel advisory, I needed a Plan B. The original plan was to propose on a trip we had planned to San Antonio, at a vineyard in nearby Fredericksburg, Texas. For a final surprise, I received a video of congratulations from her favorite internet celeb, Fiona the hippo (at the Cincinnati Zoo). She then put it on the puzzle and found the ring. When she got back, I surprised her with the final piece. I wrote a note and put the ring on the puzzle. Then she left to walk our dog and I sprang into action. That Friday, she thought we finished the puzzle. I thought of the idea to hide the final piece. With COVID-19 shutting this all down, we began working on a puzzle containing two chairs on a beach. I was going to surprise Emily on March 27, the weekend before, with the proposal at a surprise get-together with 50 friends, and another surprise the next night with our family. We were originally planning to go to Tulum and Bacalar in Mexico. Here are a few stories of their proposals: Many quarantined couples, however, decided to press on with their plans. For many people, a marriage proposal involves months of planning, ring shopping and, of course, creating the perfect moment for that ultimate surprise.īut when the coronavirus started to spread globally, followed by stay-at-home guidelines and closures of restaurants and public spaces, plans to propose in exotic locales or fancy restaurants came to a screeching halt.
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