Dear Reader,
The first week after Jesa got here to Costa Rica was bliss.
I cannot express enough how magical it felt. Both comforting and intoxicating. I was able to finally hold her in my arms. To kiss those same lips I had seen moving countless times over video chat. To smell her skin pressed against mine.
We were finally together after 19-long-months. Distance was no longer an issue for us.
But we didn’t get married immediately, as some might think. We both knew the clock was ticking. That the calendar was against us. That we needed to get married sooner than later. Because our visas only permitted us to stay in the country for so long.
And because I’m a die-hard romantic and wanted to uphold tradition, I needed a clever way to propose to Jesa.
I knew exactly how I would propose, but not sure how I would pull it off.
Since I knew we’d want to look back on our special memories together, I needed to record it on video. But there was a minor problem.
It’s just us here in Costa Rica. None of Jesa’s family could make the trip with her. And my family wasn’t here either.
So, I had no one to record the video for me. I just couldn’t prop up the phone’s camera and start recording without Jesa getting suspicious.
But I thought of a subtle way to pull it off.
One evening, about four or five days after she arrived, I told Jesa I wanted to practice reciting my poetry. I told her I might go live soon on my Facebook page and do another poetry reading for my fans.
I asked her to record me practicing. That way I’d know how well I did.
At first, I read poems from my poetic verse novel, She. And sometimes, I would re-read those poems after watching the video playback.
This went on for quite some time. Patiently, Jesa listened to me practice my poems.
Then I switched it up and pulled out a red hardcover book with the words “Love Poems” embroidered in gold on the front.
Last year, knowing I would propose to Jesa, I had the book custom made for this once-in-lifetime occasion.
I told Jesa I wanted to read poems from this book, too. And she obliged, letting me practice reciting poems that weren’t mine.
After a few more poems, to Jesa’s surprise, I slowly turned the interior of the book in her direction. In the center of the book was a heart-shaped cut-out. Inside the cut-out was an engagement ring—white gold with diamonds and a hidden sapphire below.
After lowering myself down to one knee, I supplicated Jesa, asking if she would do me the honor of becoming my wife.
Although I was confident she would say yes, especially after traveling thousands of miles to be with me, there was a bit of doubt still clouding my mind.
I felt more nervous than expected when I asked, “Will you marry me?”
But after she said yes, that nervousness vanished instantly.
And it’s a good thing she said yes, because I had already set the date—July 22nd—with the wedding officiant and photographer for a private beach wedding at Manuel Antonio Beach in Quepos, Costa Rica.
But you’ll have to wait for another newsletter update to hear more about our special day in paradise.
Yours truly,
—Alex
I’d be honored if you picked up my latest poetry book, She: A Love Story Told In Verse.
It’s the same book I used during the marriage proposal. Grab your copy and get a special discount. Be sure to use POSTCARD25 at checkout for 25% off the book.