Magic in The Maldives: An Unexpected Proposal

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We took an Uber driver to the SFO Airport. When our driver asked where we were headed, I replied “The Maldives.” When they asked a follow-up question about if it was for our honeymoon, my partner replied that we were decided to take a vacation to celebrate life.

Little did I know that I would come back from the Maldives engaged!

Here’s my story about our engagement at Lily Beach Resort, Maldives, how we ended up there, and how I almost ruined the proposal.

The Dilemma

It was spring 2021 and I was standing in the kitchen prepping lunch when my partner of 10 years turned to me and said, “We should take a vacation this summer, somewhere warm. I’ve seen ads for the Sandals Resorts.”

I couldn’t help but cackle. Hearing “Sandals” brought back memories of the early 2000s when cable was King at my parent’s house and I was a teen. I always thought the Sandals infomercials were so cringe, with couples walking barefoot across the sand, while the camera panned in on the word “Sandals” etched into the sand behind them.

I haven’t given much thought to Sandals since then but my partner’s suggestion piqued my interest. This would be our first international trip together. I got to work Googling what Sandals had to offer. To my surprise and excitement, I learned Sandals Resorts were all in beautiful Cabbriean locations. Many resorts offered all-inclusive deals, which was perfect!

The dilemma was that most rooms, regardless of resort, were completely sold out for months. After seeing that some of the Sandals resorts had over-water villa accommodations, I was even more annoyed. Deadset on getting a bungalow-styled room over the water, I then researched “over-water villas near the USA,” which led me to Palafitos Resort in Mexico. They too were also sold out.

Dare I entertain my curiosity for a stay in the Maldives? Sure, why not; it’s not we’d actually go.

An hour later, I had a list of Maldives resorts that fit our budget. “How about the Maldives? It’s open,” I called over my shoulder. I got an incredulous look from my partner in response. But the moment he saw my spreadsheet and the option for Lily Beach Resort that I annotated with five stars, I could tell he was sold on the idea as much as I was.

We booked an 8-night stay at Lily Beach Resort & Spa, starting the day after Thanksgiving.

The Magic Moment

Snorkeling with sea turtles. Munching on fresh passion fruit. Alternating between our private pool on the deck and the ocean right beneath it, the Maldives was pure bliss.

We were at one of the bars, indulging in a few rounds of post-lunch cocktails, when I expressed wanting to go jump back into our private pool to cool off. My partner said I could head back to our villa first and he’d catch up after one last round. (He told me later it was because he needed a few shots to calm his nerves while explaining to the bartender his grand plan).

20 minutes later, our villa door opened while I’m still in the pool. As I faced the horizon, I heard my partner place his phone down close by so I can listen to whatever music was playing. Soon after, he asked me to come out of the pool to show me something.

As I struggled to wring water out of my braids to reduce the weight on my head, he gets down on one knee.

How I Almost Ruined The Proposal

Completely oblivious to what’s happening, I ask, “Why are you on your knee?” while thinking, Didn’t he hurt his ankle the other day; why the hell is he crouching down? He responds with “Why do you think?” as he pulls out a small box from behind his back that held his grandmother’s wedding ring.

Two seconds later I’m saying “No, no, no” when I really mean “No way, I can’t believe this is happening” (in a good way), and quickly switch to “Yes,” when I see the panic color his face. He proceeds to ask “Do you have plans for the rest of your life?”

I’m crying. He’s crying. As I reached out to examine his grandmother’s ring, I managed to drop it. We both held our breath as we watched the ring bounce twice and roll to safely land on its side on the deck. Not sure how he’d react if the ring tragically fell through the deck cracks into the ocean below.

With the ring safe, I immediately grabbed the champagne we had in our room and chugged it. We then FaceTimed our best friend to share the news. He told me if I paid more attention, the song he played while I was in the pool was “The Rest of Our Life” by Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.