Barrett & Lindsey

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Picture this: Barrett wants to have a big blowout for her 30th birthday with a bunch of friends in Amsterdam. Little does Lindsey know, Barrett is planning to use her birthday as a cover for a romantic proposal. Plans were made months in advance but the Airbnb cancelled only a couple days before the trip. They were able to book a new Airbnb but between the ladder-esque stairs, late-night-red-light revelry, cuddly mice (ask Lindsey to tell you the story), and large-scale construction right outside, they were forced to relocate to a nearby hotel. It turned out to be a fabulous hotel and that little mouse is owed a big thank you.

The morning of March 15th (Barrett’s birthday) began with a visit to the Anne Frank House. Quite a sobering start to the day! Afterward everyone grabbed some breakfast at a nearby pancake house and discussed plans for the rest of the day. Barrett and Lindsey really wanted to take the train out to Zaanse Schans to see the windmills and were shocked that no one wanted to join. When they arrived the air was thick with the intoxicating smell of Dutch chocolate wafting from a nearby factory. It was heavenly. They toured the local museum, a few of the windmills, and, yes, the chocolate factory. The rainy weather that had dominated the atmosphere since the trip began suddenly broke, and the sun lit the little village like something out of a fairytale. Barrett had been dying to get some photos with the lighted canal bridges in the background (at dusk, her favorite time of day), so they headed back into the city. Luckily, the weather in the city was also beautiful, so they decided to take a walk to find a good photo spot. They saw a big, fancy sign for Lover’s Bridge and made a beeline for it but, alas, it was a bust – it ended up being an ad for canal cruises! Not quite the vibe Barrett was hoping for.

They kept walking in the direction of the hotel and, eventually, found a spot that looked great. Barrett stopped in the middle of a canal bridge claiming she needed some lip balm. She started digging around in her tiny travel bag, pulling things out and handing them to Lindsey. Lindsey didn’t think anything of it, even when one of the things handed to her bore a striking resemblance to a ring box. Finally the wait became too long even for Lindsey and she looked down at the small grey box in her hand. "What is this?" Lindsey asked. Barrett replied, “I don't know. Why don’t you open it?” So Lindsey opened the box and, much to her surprise, found her custom sapphire engagement ring. She looked at Barrett, and (slightly tearfully) exclaimed “Are you serious?!” Barrett, also barely able to keep it together, said, “Why don’t you put it on so we can tell all of our friends and family we’re getting married?” And she did. Three blocks later they realized Barrett had never actually asked Lindsey to marry her. So they found another beautiful bridge and did it right. Of course, she said “yes,” and the rest, as they say, is history.