When Bloody Good Bloke first proposed… I accidentally walked off 😂
We had set off that morning on a run along my favourite beach up in northern NSW.
Whales were jumping alongside us as we ran, the sun was beaming down through dramatic clouds, and my lungs were pretty pissed off about the situation.
Magical with a side of loud wheezing.
Half way through the run (100m in) I discovered that my new Lululemon yoga pants (which I had splashed out on in the hopes that they wouldn’t slip down around the crotch) were slipping down around the crotch.
“My pants are falling down” I announced romantically, “Off you go!”
I patted him on the bum to indicate it was his time to leave me behind.
He zoomed off into the distance at his “casual jog” pace which is approximately equivalent to the speed of light.
I resumed walking while staring sideways at the sea trying to catch whales in the act of leaping.
Eventually I noticed that BGB had stopped and was stretching on the sand way ahead in the distance. By the time I caught up, he was in a lunge position, down on one knee.
I went around and leant on him/ hugged him from behind as we watched a pod of whales leaping out of the sea nearby. (Excited squeals from me.)
BGB took my hand and led me around to stand in front of him, still on one knee. As he did, I looked down at my feet and noticed that the dog I’d patted en route had left a bit of a cut on my foot.
As BGB reached into his pocket to retrieve the ring…
I abruptly marched off to wash my foot in the sea.
This was all captured by the phone that BGB had haphazardly leant against a log 15 minutes earlier.
The phone also captured the moments after the failed proposal, where BGB stood up and pretended to stretch some more. 😂
(Video evidence on Instagram here.)
Second time lucky, I ran back from the sea and leapt into his arms (a near-daily occurrence in our relationship), and noticed that as he caught me and spun me round, he lifted me much higher up than he normally would.
I questioned him on it, he laughed it off, put me down on the sand, and then bent down on one knee (again).
My first thought was “Why is he lunging with tears in his eyes..”
Then he gave me the surprise of my life by pulling a ring box out of his running shorts.
“Oh, whatttt!?” I shouted.
Naturally, I showed extreme poise and grace, and lept a foot in the air.
“Ah huh!!” 🧐 I squinted at him suspiciously. “THAT’S why you lifted me up so high, so I wouldn’t know there was a ring in your pocket! I KNEW something was up!”
I then proceeded to jump around awkwardly a bit more.
I always go full awkward in moments of great significance.
Once I’d calmed down enough to focus on the situation at hand, BGB said some beautiful things with tears in his eyes, then attempted to put the ring on my right hand.
Once we worked out the correct location of the ring, we discovered it didn’t quite fit.
We’d buggered up the sizing conversion chart. 🤦♀️
Eventually I was able to calm down and let the realisation sink in that BGB had just proposed, AND managed to do it without me suspecting anything.
I can usually read the subtlest changes in his mood, so I couldn’t believe he’d got it past me, the sneaky badger!
I knew he’d probably propose sometime in the next year or so. We’d discussed it plenty, I’d already designed the ring, and he’d asked my 3 parents for their permission during our trip to NZ 6 months previously.
My mum had taken to calling me every few weeks to ask…
“How was your weekend awayyyy... [Loaded silence]”
Followed by “Oh bloody hell, tell him to hurry up, I’m getting impatient!” 😂
I come from a long line of nosy badgers who love to stick their oar in.
I don’t have a photo of me holding up the ring with my hand splayed out all awkwardly at the camera, because:
A. The ring didn’t fit until a few days ago
B. I’d rather shut my hand in a car door than abide by the law of #instagramproposals
C. The ring is so minuscule as to be almost undetectable to the naked eye.
I LOVE my unconventional ring. It’s an extremely simple, extremely thin 1mm linear-textured rose gold band, designed by a lovely jeweller on Etsy.
No diamonds, no stones, no flashbaggery.
I hate the ridiculous societal pressure to remortgage your house to buy an overpriced bling-monster that will get caught in all woollen jumpers for the rest of time.
I’d rather spend 15k+ on five honeymoons.
I’ve also told Bloody Good Bloke we need to get HIM a ring stat because:
A. Why is it still normal in hetero relationships for only the woman to appear “taken” while the man gallops around naked-handed???
(Not that I think a ring has anything to do with whether or not someone will cheat… but the principle of it! Yet another covertly sexist tradition left over from archaic times).
Andddd:
B. He’ll look extra hot in a ring.
I’m very excited to be marrying this man.
He’s like the sun. He warms everyone he turns his attention to, brings out the best in people, and is the most all-the-things* man I’ve ever met.
*Intelligent, kind, fun, laid-back, generous, rebellious, down-to-earth, loyal, interesting, loving, adventurous, handsome, motivated, warm, easy-going, determined, (could go on for ages but I’ll spare you, for now. 😬)
More about how wonderful I think “my fiancé” (Ooooo) is over here: → What I Learnt from Ending the Most Beautiful Relationship.
So there you have it.
The story of how some humpback whales observed Bloody Good Bloke proposing to his awkward girlfriend Andrea.
✌️
Andrea
PS — There’s no way I’d have such a beautiful, healthy relationship with Bloody Good Bloke if I hadn’t learnt the skills I now teach in the Bloody Good Life program. I’d have self-sabotaged and buggered it up years ago for CERTAIN.
Until midnight Weds, you can get $200/ £100 off the Bloody Good Life program (D.I.Y. or 1:1) by using the code TAMEMYMIND23.
BGL is a game changer if you’re an indecisive, overthinking control freak or people pleaser who is feeling a bit stuck, lacking confidence, and/or tired of your inner critic running the show.
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I'm SO late to this, so congrats on getting engaged and good work on not getting a huge bling-ring (I feel same way about rings).👍🏼💙
Congratulations Andrea! Such a sweet and funny story 😊