A Proposal Story: Sees & Jin

I can't begin to explain how happy I was that this was my last session of the year! Sees and Jin are one of my favorite couples, so I was beyond excited to hear that Jin was going to propose! He contacted me months ago to arrange a retrospective photo shoot, to revisit key places in their relationship. We'll begin at Lincoln Elementary in Oakland <3 Let's hear their story:

How did the two of you meet?

Jin: Even though we've known each other since elementary school, we actually never talked until the summer before high school. Sees pinged me via AIM and we had very long discussions about the 2004 Olympic events. If it wasn't for AIM, I'm sure we would've never talked, since we went to different high schools.

Sees: We went to elementary school together, but didn't really talk until the end of middle school. We actually took a cooking class together in middle school and he was so mean to me. Not sure why I decided to ping him on AIM one day, but I did and was actually giving him love advice for his crush on my friend.

What's your favorite memory together?

Sees: When he made me mac and cheese by microwaving a few pieces of "Singles" cheese on some boiled elbow macaroni. It wasn't the best, but it was so silly and so "him." I also really loved it when we hiked Koko Head Crater in Hawaii together. We were both dehydrated and dying halfway through it- it was probably one of the worst hikes. But it felt so nice to accomplish something together and we enjoyed our Spam musubi with the beautiful view below.

Jin: All the lazy mornings we spend in bed together. We just cuddle, roll around, and talk about random things.

What's your secret to a happy relationship or your best relationship advice?

Sees: Tolerance, patience, and lots of love.

Jin:

Keep communication open, if something is bothering you, share it and discuss it together.

Give each other space- being a couple doesn't mean you have to be together 24/7. Giving each other space is essential is sustaining a long term relationship. This is especially true whenever you get into any arguments. Take a step back, give yourself a moment to reflect on what happened, think in their perspective for a little bit, and then reconvene to discuss what would be the best way to resolve any disagreement.

Do little things to brighten each others' day. Randomly send treats/lunches to each other, send random texts with funny posts/pictures throughout the workday, and etc.

What's your favorite thing about him/her?

Sees: He shows me a side that others don't see. He's intelligent and always challenges me. He's silly and full of humor, which makes it so much easier for me to be myself. He's my Chandler Bing from "Friends."

Jin: She takes the time to understand you. And not just with me, she does that with everyone.

Jin, when did you know Sees was the ONE and you wanted to propose?

I've wanted to propose for a while and I'm still unsure as to what prompted me to do it. It just felt right at the moment.

How were you feeling the morning of the proposal?

Jin: I was more concerned with the fact that she might be mad at me for tricking her into thinking we were going to a spa. My biggest concerns were:

1. Keeping the engagement ring hidden

2. Making sure she doesn't catch on

3. Hoping it wouldn't rain

What went through your mind during the proposal?

Jin: What I was going to say. I ended up saying something very cheesy. . . I had planned a whole bunch of lines, but nothing came to mind at the moment.

Sees: What should I do with the bed frame I just bought? Haha.