A High Proposal

I have heard tons of stories about how people got engaged, mostly only on television. If you ask most of the people around you, they have a cute little story of going out to their favorite restaurant and getting asked in front of everyone or waiting until Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and asking in front of the entire family. Not many people have a story about something different.

So, this story takes place in Daytona, FL where I asked my fiancé to marry me. We had been dating for two years and as usual, I was being pressured into proposal. So, I finally decided to do it. It took a little while to save for the ring and figure out how I was going to buy it without her finding out. Luckily, it wasn't as hard as I had planned. Then I planned a trip to go to Daytona for our two year anniversary.

Our big thing as a couple has always been lighthouses. We have collected over 50 lighthouse models from all over the country. So, I decided that was where I would propose. I was going to go to the top of the lighthouse and propose up there.

Everything went as planned and we arrived in Daytona at the time we were supposed to. We drove down to Ponce Inlet where the tallest lighthouse in Florida stands. While we were driving up, I started getting extremely excited and almost ruined the surprise, but somehow managed to keep it in.

So we went in and bought tickets to climb the lighthouse. Then, right there at the cash register it hit me. Although I was obsessed with lighthouses, I had only climbed one lighthouse and it was only 90 feet high. The lighthouse at Ponce Inlet was over 175 feet tall. Through all of the stress of purchasing the ring and planning the perfect proposal, I had seemed to forget one minor detail. I was severely afraid of heights.

I brushed the thought aside and decided that it couldn't be that bad because I wouldn't be able to see outside until I was at the top. We walked around a couple of the buildings and finally got to the lighthouse. We walked in and began the 175 feet trek up to the top.

At first I was fine. I did not get nervous or clammy at all. But about a quarter of the way it hit me. The lighthouse was beginning to turn into a cone and the walls were slowly getting closer together. If not to make it worse, the steps became steeper and there was no back on the steps so you could see right through them all the way to the bottom. I made it halfway up the lighthouse when I had to stop.

I was sick to my stomach and could not breathe. My legs were shaking horribly and I didn't think I could take another step. Finally, after a few minutes and a few people passing me, I managed to climb the second half of the lighthouse stopping every 15 feet or so.

When I got to the top and walked outside my heart dropped. There was no wall stopping you from falling right off of the lighthouse. There was a light rope that was wrapped around and that was all that prevented you from falling for 175 feet.

Again, I brushed the thoughts aside, although this time it was a little bit harder. I walked around the lighthouse hugging the wall the entire time and taking very small steps. I finally stopped being afraid of being so high up when I realized that I needed to propose. So, at the top of the lighthouse, 175 feet in the air, I proposed.

If lighthouses are not your thing, there are many other places that you can propose at in Daytona. The Hilton in Daytona is beautiful and has many restaurants and beach fronts where someone could propose. There are also many ocean front restaurants as well. And if all else fails, there is always the beach which is a beautiful place to propose.