We pull up to a secluded gate, nestled away in the town of Isabela; to a resort called The Royal Isabela. And oh boy, Royal is the perfect adjective to describe this magical place. Now for anyone getting themselves in a tizzy about us staying in a hotel, The Royal Isabela has casitas – little houses for each guest. So it was the perfect place for social distancing, privacy and relaxation. Here’s a few photos from our casita.
So needless to say, Barret planned the most romantic getaway, and we were so excited to escape to this little oasis. And little did I know… the weekend was just getting started.
The following morning was bliss. We had a scrumptious breakfast, followed by a swim, and Barret surprised me and booked a massage at the casita! Talk about a relaxing day. Then, this is when I started sensing something – almost a nervous energy. Never, ever in the time we’ve been dating has Barret ever said, “Let’s look extra good for dinner tonight.” I giggle as I type this. Never has he said anything of the sort. I thought, hmm, well, maybe we’ve been extra frumpy in quarantine or something…
The next weird comment Barret kept making was, “Don’t forget a shawl, or cover up – just in case it gets cold.” I mean, we live in Puerto Rico, it’s always warm here, why on earth is he so adamant I bring something if I get cold? He knows I’ll just steal his jacket anyways, just like I steal his french fries. Now, looking back at the evening, I would say the next clue was the incredibly silent drive to the restaurant, I’m laughing as I type this too. Usually we’re a bunch of Chatty Kathys in the car, but it was dead silent all the way to dinner…
We arrive at The Eclipse Restaurant (one of our favorites on the island), and I notice Barret keeps eyeing up this family that are taking photos by this beautiful gazebo. I thought, huh, maybe he’s looking at their cute dog. But I was wrong; he was looking at the gazebo, which is what he booked for dinner for us months prior. As we walked towards it, I got a little feeling of butterflies in my stomach…
As we settled into our romantic oceanfront gazebo, I couldn’t help but notice I was facing the sunset but Barret wasn’t. A side note about Barret, he keeps telling me there’s a thing called the ‘Green Flash’, something that happens at an exact moment the sun sets over the sea. However, I have yet to see it… So I asked if he wanted to walk the beach and watch the sunset before dinner. He happily agreed.
Now this is where all the signs pointed to something was about to happen. As we started our walk along the beach, I went to grab Barret’s hand, which was a little clammy, and I could sense his nervousness. Now, for anyone that knows B, he’s the most level-headed, calm and collected person, so seeing how nervous he was got my mind racing.
We walked a little and I was chatting away about the sunset (I’m realizing I talk a lot), when all of a sudden he turns and faces me (away from the sunset). My first thought was, why is he not looking at the sunset? He’s going to miss this damn green flash he’s always talking about. He then began to say, “Puerto Rico has been a wild ride, but I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side…..” AND THEN IT CLICKED.
He continued speaking as he got down on one knee and asked if I would spend the rest of my life with him. DUH! Well, I didn’t say that of course, but I did shriek in a rather high pitch voice, “YES! OF COURSE!”. As we kissed at sunset on the beach, listening to the waves and claps of onlookers – I’d have to say, this was one of the best nights of my life. It was the most romantic, brilliantly planned, and exciting nights that I’ll remember forever. My heart is so full!
We walked back to the gazebo, celebrated with champagne and a beautiful 3 course meal, followed by a private bonfire on the beach (now the shawl makes sense). I’m so excited to spend the rest of my life with the man I love, laughing, exploring, building a family and hey, maybe even one day, seeing this elusive green flash – until then, here’s too many more adventures with B.
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