Well do I have a blog post for you!
Although, there is one stipulation. If you start reading it you must read it right until the very end. Deal? Perfect!
Bill and I have had our trip to Washington DC planned for a long time. Even though I had been many times, Bill was still to experience the fabulousness of DC so with that, when Megabus had their sale a few months ago I booked our tickets and at the same time, got a great deal at the Marriott Metro Center – right in the heart of the city so it would be perfect!
We worked out an itinerary – taking in the monuments, museums and sights. Although it was going to be a jam packed four days I felt we still had ample time for rest and relaxation so it would be an awesome trip.
The day before departure both Bill and I weren’t feeling 100% – which was a worry as I had visions of being sick all weekend in a hotel. Nevertheless, we were well enough to travel and on the day of departure Bill woke feeling much better than he had a few days before.
We got to the Megabus stop at 31st street by 8.30 Friday morning. Armed with our supply of bagels from Murray’s on 8th (I think they are now actually better than H&H!) we were ready to hit the road and were in a nice position in line that meant we’d hopefully get a good seat on the top deck of the bus.
Some people in front got the ‘front’ seats – that suited me fine. Mum, dad and I had those seats going to Boston and it feels like you are going to go through the windscreen. So we settled in a seat for two before the staircase that goes down to the lower deck. Perfect as we could see ahead and had no-one in a leaning chair in front of us. We also had a little cup rest area that meant we could leave our iPods on there.
Right on 9am the bus took off. And wow – the temperature inside the bus plummeted. It was absolutely freezing. I couldn’t even use the Macbook properly as it was so cold my fingers were icy as I was typing. We passed the time chatting away and listening to podcasts as we started to enter Washington DC.
The minute we alighted in Washington we could feel the heat difference – it was more humid and also the sun felt hotter. Our hotel was only walking distance from the Megabus stop and I had the location mapped in my head. Well we ended up going five blocks in the wrong directions. Oops. Lethargic from the bus, hungry and ahem… busting… we eventually got the hotel. Check in wasn’t until 4pm so I had visions of leaving our luggage and wandering for a few hours but here starts the perfect Marriott experience. Our room was ready! The hotel was doing renovations and there was a loud jackhammer noise throughout our check-in. We were joking with the lady doing all our paperwork and we were put in a room on the top floor and she chucked in a free movie credit for us to watch. Wow!! (Side note – After YEARS of hosteling, I still get a great thrill checking into a hotel and knowing that I don’t have to share a bathroom or wonder who will be on the top bunk!) Everyone was so NICE!
We got up to our room which looked like this –
I had a lay down to watch some 7th Heaven while we worked out what we would do. I had originally planned to go to Georgetown for the afternoon but dealing with the back-to-college crowds and tourists was not something I wanted to do after all the time on a bus and being sleepy from an early start. So it was decided… we would walk around, grab something to eat (it was now after 3pm!) and visit the National Portrait Gallery which was scheduled for Monday but it was close by the hotel and it seemed like an ideal way to spend the afternoon.
After wandering around for too long we ended up at Maccas (so glamourous!) and scoffed down our burgers and headed off to the Gallery.
This has to be one of the most gorgeous museums in DC. Quiet, understated, well organized, and… without the throngs of people that the museums on the Mall have. We saw some amazing portraits (they even have the famous Obama ‘Hope’ portrait there) and there was a great display of photographic portraits as well. The museum is organized in such a way that half of it is the portrait gallery and the other half is the American Art Museum – so you take in two kinds of galleries at once and they are both run by the Smithsonian.
We were on the American art side when we entered a very quiet area of the museum and there was this silver alter-like sculpture before us. There was a little bench in front of it so it called on us as the perfect place to sit down. I was ohhhing and ahhing at the sculpture when Bill pulled out the camera and said “Take a photo!” I refused as I know you get in trouble for taking photos in galleries like this. To which again he said “Take a photo!” I said again “No way!! We’re going to get into trouble!!” Then he held the camera out to me with the camera strap waving in front of my face. On the camera strap was a huge costume ring! I said “What is.. THIS??!” and that is when… Bill got down on one knee and said “Jenelle… will you marry me?” My response?
LAUGHTER…. then…”What?!??!” then….”BILL!!!” then… “WHAT???!” then it went like this… MORE LAUGHTER then… “Are you serious?!” “Are you joking?” “Wait are you serious?” “Are you serious?!” “Are you joking?” “Wait are you serious?” “Are you serious?!” “Are you joking?” “Wait are you serious?” “Are you serious?!” “Are you joking?” “Wait are you serious?” “Are you serious?!” “Are you joking?” “Wait are you serious?” “Are you serious?!” “Are you joking?” “Wait are you serious?”
And seriously. That was my reaction. Cool, calm and collected? I am definitely most not!
Bill finally convinced me that yes he was serious, that no he wasn’t joking and that yes… he was serious. I was in shock! I said yes yes yes yes yes yes! And he then moved my Claddagh from my right hand onto my left. I still couldn’t believe it (still can’t now..!)
So now… for the story telling I need to pause here, as the ring is put on my finger and rewind BACK a week.
Mum and I were on Skype on Sunday night NY time, at about 11am Melbourne time. We were gossiping away when mum said “Nellie… the postie is here… this early… and it is Monday!!” I did a big “Woohooo!!” and listened carefully to see if I could hear the motorbike driving down the street. Anyone who knows me well knows how much I LOVE waiting for the postie. Our postie has NEVER delivered mail so early on a Monday. It is always normally around 3.30pm so this was exciting news! She told me to wait while she ran out to check the mail. She comes back in and goes “Wow! We have a letter from BILL!!!!” I was puzzled and said out aloud “What?! A letter from Bill?!” Bill turned around so quickly with this crazed expression on his face and he grabbed the Macbook off me and put the headphones on and spoke to mum. Skype then cut out. We logged back in and then mum had to leave… or something like that. I knew exactly what was in that letter and burst into tears. I had ruined the surprise for him and I felt awful. We talked it over and as he said – it wasn’t like we hadn’t spoken about it. But at the same time, I knew something that he wanted to make a surprise. I had a feeling that if he was going to propose it would happen over Thanksgiving weekend
The following day Bill was a little edgy in the morning as he said he hadn’t heard anything from mum or dad. Then that night, he was somewhat relaxed and when I asked him if he had heard anything he said no. Then it hit me! After dinner I explained that the reason he hadn’t heard was because mum and dad would be sooooooo upset because it meant I wouldn’t be back in Melbourne etc etc. Bill’s expression was priceless and he told me I need to get over myself quickly. I responded with something along the lines of “Ummm… excuse ME?!?” That was when he told me. Mum and dad had got up early that morning and called him… AT WORK!! Awwwww! Surprise surprise! And they weren’t upset at all… rather they were very happy! Aha! I was caught out! Oooops!
So that was all well and good and I just knew it would all happen on Thanksgiving and that would be that.
And then Washington happened!
I was so super surprised simply because I know EVERYTHING that goes on at ALL TIMES and EVERYWHERE. I could not believe that everyone knew he would be doing this while we were in Washington except for me! It was bizarre and that is why I was simply so shocked and couldn’t believe it. After all.. a proposal was NOT ON THE ITINERARY!!!!
So now.. lets head back to the gallery where we are sitting on the bench in front of this ‘silver altar’.
When I was somewhat more composed, we got up and walked over to look more closely at the altar. Oh good lord. It was not silver at all. It was a display made out of… TIN FOIL and CARDBOARD bits and pieces from AROUND THE HOUSE! Arghgghhhgghhgh!! And then… above the main altar were two words… “FEAR NOT”. Ohhh mannnn. We were laughing our head off… out of a huge gallery of some of the most beautiful pieces of art from around the country we sealed the deal in front of sculpture of foil and cardboard!! It was too funny for words and it was typical of this whole experience. We thought we should pick another piece of art to say to everyone “This is where it happened…” There were giant pieces of art depicting Niagara Falls… the prairies of the mid-west… and beautiful landscapes. Yet… we have foil and junk for our story. We settled on the foil junk story to tell everyone just because it was so us!
Saying that, the piece was by the artist, James Hampton and is called The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly. You can read a whole lot about it here.
Then we realized we didn’t even take a photo in front of the sculpture! We took a quick self timed shot in quadrangle area of the gallery where you can see how gorgeous I was on the day… not. I hadn’t even brushed my hair since I had been on the bus… my t-shirt was all creased and I didn’t even have make up on. Disaster! But we were engaged and I still could not believe it!! So perfect in a total Jenelle and Bill kind of way!
We then headed back to the hotel where we called everyone in Albany to let them know. As I was on the phone to them, room service rang as our TV wasn’t working. The lady could hear me carrying on in the background and when Bill explained what the excited was all about they sent up two bottles of wine. Awwww! We then rang mum who was just as excited. And then I posted it on Twitter. Within 10 minutes, Fiona in Melbourne had rung Aunty Marg across the road and she had run over to visit mum. It was hilarious! The messages of congratulations still amaze me and I’ll be printing them all out to keep as a keepsake. This is love and marriage in a Web 2.0 world!!
We did return to the ‘spot’ on Sunday to take the following photos –
Our official engagement photo.
The Action Shot.
The Shrine to Foil 😉
I am going to pause the ‘engagement talk’ there as the next three days in Washington were absolutely wonderful and I will post about them later with photos of the sites.
We returned to the City late on Monday evening and we were exhausted yet still managed to unpack and get things ready for work on Tuesday morning.
Bill sent me an email at 10am the next day to let me know… he had actually taken Tuesday off as a leave day and had forgotten all about it (obviously from being in a state of romantic bliss!) so he would work a half day and head home. On Tuesday night we did all the washing from the weekend (there is a story as to why we had to..!) and we had our Fresh Direct ordered delivered and I felt super rested. Then on Wednesday we headed off to work as normal… and yet again, Bill only worked half a day. But not because he went into work on his day off. But because he was laid off from where he has worked for the past six years. 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁
Could you have more of a range of emotions in a few days? I think not. Talk about going from a stellar high to a stellar low. I will refrain from saying anything else – because he is awesome and I need to behave myself when I get stroppy/angry and I become dismayed at how people can conduct themselves. And also because this kind of challenge is what happens in real life. We sat down last night and worked out somewhat of an action plan that is awesome and exciting. It is going to be fine and everything is going to be wonderful as this is what you do together and this is a real opportunity for Bill.
If things have to be put on hold, they get put on hold.
We are so lucky because if you are going to be going through such challenges – what better place than New York City to be going through it? Where we can still wander down to Chelsea Piers at night, or look at the Empire State building from our rooftop, or walk through Central Park, or hang out at the Apple Store… this makes it all the more better. It is almost a total Collingwood way of thinking… and as Bill is a Collingwood supporter he can embrace it. It is turning around, seeing the scoreboard where we may be ten goals down and saying well you know what… We’re still Collingwood and you aren’t and never will be and while it may not say it on the scoreboard… there is more to us than that. Well in this case, Bill rocks and as a couple, we rock and one little bump makes the trip all the more memorable and fun.