And So…The Adventure Continues…
March 7th was the best day of my life. I got engaged to my best friend and soulmate, and was lucky enough to be surrounded by family, friends, and an endless amount of love. Every couples’ engagement embodies its own unique mix of intimacy, creativity, and emotion. I felt the need to share our personal experience and additionally, share with the world some amazing talents that deserve to be showcased.
My relationship with Lauren has been one big adventure from the start. It has been filled with celebrating milestones and events with family and friends, eating everywhere and everything that we can, attending concerts and sporting events, shopping in New York City, skiing in Vail and Tahoe, exploring desolate rain forests in Costa Rica, and venturing to our families hometown’s of Chicago and Philadelphia, plus so much more during the last 3 1/2 years we have spent together. Most everyone that knows us has suspected that a proposal was in the near future. The only aspiration that I knew Lauren had for our ‘special day’, was to be surprised. To adhere some pressure to the situation, I must also add that my quick-witted Lauren is practically a modern day Sherlock Holmes, which left me very little room for error with my planning.
HOW I DID IT
One of my business ventures offers entertainment services, in which we had an event on the evening of March 7th. Lauren was under the impression I would be working this event and had planned to be spending the evening alone, binge-watching Netflix in bed with the infamous “Saki The Shiba” and a glass of wine. My 28th birthday was the weekend before, and she had been busy studying for her UCF PT grad-school midterms so we could not celebrate the way we wanted to on the weekend of. We had instead decided to celebrate this past weekend and planned to kick the off the celebration by enjoying lunch before I had to work that evening. Of course, without hesitation, we chose our favorite foodie spot, Prato of Winter Park as our destination. Lauren had also conveniently suggested to go to the Winter Park Farmer’s Market prior to lunch. The significance of Park Avenue in Winter Park in our story, is that it is where I first asked Lauren to be my girlfriend.
When I woke up the morning of the 7th, I made sure to complain about having to work that evening, while pretending to load equipment into my truck for the event. I then proceeded to (like usual) rush Lauren to finish getting ready so we could get out the door and be on time. Walking from the Farmer’s Market to Prato, there is a brick canopied walkway with gorgeous landscaping, that opens up to a fountain and peaceful area along Park Avenue. I had decided this was going to be the proposal spot when I put together the itinerary for my proposal (I have a slight, I mean, extremely strong touch of OCD, so I was pretty particular in my planning, click here if you don’t believe me).
My Mother, Susan Sobel, is a tremendously talented artist. There is no way to describe the type of work she produces without seeing her portfolio for yourself. She and I had discussed incorporating a painting of hers into my proposal from the start. Upon deciding what particular photo to use for the painting, we agreed on one that was both recent and meaningful. It was one from mine and Lauren’s recent adventure to Vail, Colorado where we were able to capture this amazing photo:
My Mom was able to hand-paint, from scratch, an exact replica of the photo on a canvas. (Make sure to scroll back up and look at the actual photo again after looking at the ones below):
Yes. She REALLY DID paint that. Absolutely perfect. Pay attention to the level of detail, from the zippers on my shirt, to the ‘beard’ that I’ve been trying to grow for years. And to really put things into perspective, look at these pictures she captured along the way:
The painting was sitting peacefully on an easel in the location that I had asked it to be positioned. As we walked to Prato, I made sure to take the path I had so carefully planned out, while cautiously leading Lauren towards the painting. The paparazzi was all over us as I tried to make sure the plan was coming together:
The plan was to walk by, see the painting, and bring it to Lauren’s attention. Mind you, I still have not seen the painting myself at this point because I wanted it to be a surprise to me, as well. As we got closer, my emotions began to run wild. Once the painting was in clear view, Lauren started to ask questions and get confused. The second she returned her gaze to me after trying to figure out what was going on with the painting, I was down on one knee…
I removed my glasses, began to speak, and practically blacked out. What I had planned to say did not come out in exact words, but this is what I do remember saying:
“Lauren. When we met, we were not looking for love, we were looking for an adventure. That adventure turned into me falling deeper in love with you every single day. I am confident in knowing that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I know that we can conquer anything together. Lauren Patricia Howard, will you marry me?”
After she said YES, full of excitement, I HANDED the ring to her, before kissing and hugging her. There were herds of bystanders across the street, clapping and cheering. This included cops that had literally stopped traffic to help the crowd have an optimal vantage point. Lauren and I could not stop smiling just as she said “I think you are supposed to actually put it on my finger now” (notice Lauren pinching something in between her fingers in the above photo). We shared a nice laugh, poking fun at the fact that I had not even put the ring ON her finger yet.
After the proposal I carried the painting all the way to Prato.
On the way, everyone was staring at us, as we were beaming in joy en route to the restaurant, both of us still in shock. I thought the attention was solely due to the massive painting I was carrying, but then a couple of older ladies stopped us and said, “Wait, are you THE couple… The couple on the painting?! Congratulations on your engagement!” It was as if everyone on Park Avenue knew about the proposal somehow, except for Lauren. I will chalk that up as a big win. I had arranged for Lauren’s family to visit from Clearwater and for my family to visit from South Florida to celebrate this day with us and to surprise Lauren, yet again. When we finally made it to the restaurant they were all there to greet us with open arms and smiling faces. We toasted with some delicious champagne and shared an amazing meal.
Later on, we proceeded to our dinner reservations that I had made for the entire family. While at dinner, I got an email from Scott Trippler, of Scott Trippler Studios, that was full of photos. I had arranged for Scott and the amazing Elena to capture the moment with some candid proposal shots. During the proposal itself I was so wrapped up in nerves while attempting to flawlessly execute the plan that I had spent months brainstorming and planning for, that I completely blacked out. As I opened up the photos Scott sent me during dinner I was able to see everything again, and this time from a different view. That is when my emotions got the best of me. Having worked with Scott for years, while building on a friendship at the same time, I knew that the photos would turn out top-notch. But never in my wildest dreams could I have anticipated the creativity and quality that Scott and Elena would bring to life on that day.
The proposal had many additional sentimental elements and details, of which I have shared the most integral components in this post. In closing, one of the main reasons that I wanted to share our experience was to thank my Mother (and Lauren’s future Mother-in-Law) for her contribution to our proposal, and for being my hero. Throughout my entire life, I have never had any doubt that she would always be there for me right by side. My mother puts up with my antics, offers endless amounts of advice and support, and continues to help me become a better person everyday. It is a goal of mine this year to make sure that her work is showcased and appreciated by as many people as I possibly can, and what better time to start than now. Mom, I thank you for everything you do for me and for our family, and I thank you for creating what was the focal point of my proposal to Lauren. It holds all the more meaning because it is something that was constructed from the bottom of your heart. I love you.
It truly was a well-executed plan. I cannot express the gratitude that I have for everyone that played an instrumental part in this experience in mine and Lauren’s lives. To my Father and Mother, to Lauren’s Father and Mother, to all of those that offered their advice along the way, to the most incredible piece of artwork I have ever seen, and to the most perfect photos that we will always have to re-live the experience over and over, I truly feel blessed and am forever thankful.
Lauren, I love you with all my heart, and I am so happy to call you my fiancé! …And So…The Adventure Continues!
I would like to also extend my gratitude to Chris and Theresa of the Unique Diamond Boutique, of Winter Park Florida. Their patience, accommodations, and the overall experience they provided was class-act. The ring didn’t come out too shabby either 😉
Orlando Stands for Opportunity
“UCF: Stands for Opportunity”. If you have any affiliation with UCF, you have probably heard this slogan before. For me, I can relate to these words on a personal level. I’ve always been proud to be a UCF Alumni, and as time goes on I gain more respect and admiration for my Alma Matter. Not until taking a step back did I realize how far my school has progressed in the past few years. UCF recently received tons of national recognition for their athletics program when the UCF Knights Football team beat Baylor in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. Undoubtedly, this achievement alone arose questions such as, “What and Where IS THIS UCF school?” and “What is it all about?” in the minds of many across the nation.
As a lot of people already know, UCF is in Orlando Florida, a detail I will touch on shortly. However, a few many only know that this “up-and-coming school” (ranked 5th best in the nation for this category) is the 2nd largest University in the United States. UCF is a leader amongst other universities in the research field alone. Not to mention, they have recently opened their own School of Medicine, they have a wide array of regional campuses, and are ranked as a “Top Tier National University” and a “School To Watch” by US News & World Report. The development of infrastructure on UCF’s main campus from 2005 when I arrived, until today stands alone as a true testament to the school’s prosperity. As a wide-eyed freshman 9 years ago, new to Orlando and Florida in general, I’ve watched an insurmountable amount of advancements and growth occur here and I could not be more proud.
While working on my undergrad at UCF and participating in some extracurricular programs, I developed an outstanding relationship with an influential woman named Carol Ann Dykes who is part of the UCF Business Incubator. Carol Ann invited me to an event that I attended last week called “Speed Dating Startup Style”. This function was hosted by UCF’s Launch Pad. Aside from offering me the great experience to network with young UCF Entrepreneurs and hearing their ideas, I was also able to catch up with an old professor of mine- Dr. Cameron Ford. He enlightened me to some of the exciting advancements he has made in the development of UCF programs centered on entrepreneurial activity. Learning about the evolution of the UCF Entrepreneurship opportunities, such as the CEL (Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership), and the Blackstone Launch Pad was invigorating, and only reinforced my faith in UCF and Downtown Orlando’s prosperity and synergetic relationship.
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One of the main reasons why I constantly recommend UCF to those looking into pursuing education is because of the unique community that the city of Orlando has to offer. The constant & continuous growth occurring in East Orlando is analogous to the growth of the University. I believe that the University’s growth comparably affects the growth of Downtown Orlando as well. To me, East Orlando’s close vicinity to Downtown Orlando makes attending UCF that much more opportunistic for those considering schools.
I like to think of Downtown Orlando as a little big city. It has so much to offer essentially any type of lifestyle. Not only was a brand new, state-of-the-art Amway center finished a few years back, but the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts along with a few new high-rise buildings are currently in the works as well. Even though the former things I consider to be outstanding advancements, the talk of a few additional major development projects and economic influx into Downtown Orlando and its surrounding areas, that gets me even more excited for this city. One in particular is the Creative Village, in which the vision states “focusing on creating a true ‘live, learn, work, and play’ urban destination through a development plan that supports a synergistic and dynamic mix of uses including office/creative studios, higher education, K-12 education, mixed-income residential, retail/commercial, and hotel.” In addition to the ‘Creative Village‘ project, is the general project to expand commercial and residential development towards the Citrus Bowl. The city plans to achieve this through the gentrification of the Paramore District (which you can read about it here). This is all very exciting to me as I live, work, and play right in the heart of Downtown Orlando.
Orlando as a city is very diverse as is the array of businesses and cultures that exist within it. Orlando is a fantastic place for the entrepreneurial spirit. Many of my peers, myself included, own and operate businesses in the Orlando area. We have all utilized Orlando as a stepping stone to launch ideas and watch aspirations come to life. It is through my experiences at UCF that I learned what I needed to know to be able to get the most out of Orlando as not only a creative platform, but also as a gateway for my high ambitions.
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I wrote this blog as a reflection from an article I read a few days back titled “UCF may expand its downtown presence in a big way“, as seen in the Orlando Business Journal. Another article on MyFox35, “UCF considers expanding presence with large Downtown Orlando Campus” provides some more information as well.
This video is a great testament to my viewpoints about “The City Beautiful”, and reafirms the ‘uprise’ that I describe in this blog: ORLANDO RISING TRAILER
Quality Growth: UCF is Nation’s Second-Largest University
The University of Central Florida has become the second-largest university in the nation in student enrollment, surpassing Ohio State.
The ranking is based on preliminary enrollment data reported from the nation’s largest universities. Arizona State continues to be the nation’s largest with more than 70,400 students.
UCF is home to 56,235 students, the most in the university’s history.
The university’s growth is fueled by the longstanding commitment to providing high-quality students access to higher education.
This fall’s freshman class boasted an average high school GPA of 3.8 and an average SAT score of 1237, both of which are UCF records. The class also includes 45 National Merit Scholars, which ranks UCF among the top 50 in the nation.
Earlier this semester, U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” guide named UCF as a top 10 national university to watch. The magazine’s “Best Graduate Schools” guide also ranked five UCF programs among the nation’s best in their fields.
