The Proposal - 08.03.26
- Sarah Rodriguez
- 11 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Today was our first day exploring the beautiful island of O'ahu. We kick started the day by hiking Diamond Head. Diamond Head is a volcanic tuff cone and is known by Hawaiians as Lēʻahi. It is Hawaii’s most recognized landmark known for its historic hiking trail, stunning coastal views, and military history. Diamond Head State Monument encompasses over 475 acres, including the interior and outer slopes of the crater.
This was my second time hiking this trail and it is challenging but rewarding. It is a steep and strenuous hike as you gain 560 feet ascending from the crater floor. At the top, the view of the shoreline from Koko Head to Wai‘anae is stunning.
After our morning hike, we continued on by sightseeing the island using the Shaka Guide app. We did the East O'ahu Shoreline drive which included the following sights: Hanauma Bay, Halona Blowhole, Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail, Judd Trail, Kailua Beach, Sandy Beach, Ho’omaluhia Botanical Garden - Kaneohe, and Ulupo Heiau State Historic Site. We stopped at Halona Blowhole which is a powerful natural geyser formed thousands of years ago during volcanic eruptions. Today, the sprays of seawater can shoot up to 30 feet in the air. We then found ourselves climbing down to Hālona Beach Cove (Eternity Beach) which is a sandy beach surrounded by lava cliffs. It is one of O’ahu’s most photographed secret beaches and is known for its filming locations in “From Here to Eternity” as the iconic beach kiss scene and “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” as “Whitecap Bay”.
As we traveled and saw so many beautiful sites, I got increasingly more anxious thinking about my potential proposal that could happen at any given moment. I was fairly certain that during this vacation my boyfriend would pop the question, given that we brought along my custom-made ring. While some people like surprises, I like to be prepared and plan. Unfortunately, I was not privy to the details of the proposal except that the ring was in our company.
From our self-guided app tour, we headed to Waikiki for lunch and shopping. We went to Duke’s for lunch, a restaurant and bar inspired by the legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku. I had the Kale and Romaine Caesar Salad with Fresh Fish (romaine, kale, parmesan, garlic focaccia croutons, balsamic tomatoes, lemon-anchovy dressing) and we split the famous Kimo’s Original Hula Pie (chocolate cookie crust, macadamia nut ice cream, hot fudge, toasted macadamia nuts, whipped cream). Everyone enjoyed their meals, especially the Hula Pie!
Our shopping was brief as we only popped into a handful of stores, including the Honolulu Cookie Company. We then journeyed back to our resort where I immediately grabbed my wooden surfboard and headed back out to get character signatures - there was no time to freshen up. Avery’s mom came with me and we got Angel’s signature. We then went to wait in line for Stitch. While we were in line, Avery came down to wait with us. After we got our signatures, Avery told me that his sister was down at the beach waiting to take group photos. I agreed to go take photos, regardless of my lack of freshening up, and we started our long walk to the beach. On our way, Avery carried the wooden surfboards with the character signatures (mine and his family’s) and then he veered off claiming that he had to go fix his belt. That made me slightly suspicious as well as his sister wanting to take photos… Along the way, I took a quick stop at the bathroom to refresh as I was pretty sure IT was happening. When I got out of the bathroom, Avery put his arm around me as we walked to a secluded grassy area at the end of the beach. He talked about how he thought we were good together and asked if I wanted a forever future with him. Of course, I said that I did and then he commented about his sister’s surfboard and how he liked the character signatures and wanted me to show him the signatures on mine, even though they were the same. He then gave me the boards, mine on the bottom of the two and when I pulled mine to look at it, it read “Will you marry me?”. Avery got down on one knee, pulled out the ring box from his pocket, and when he opened the box, the ring immediately fell out and started slowly rolling down the slight hill that we stood on. I started dying laughing and Avery swiftly scooped up the ring. I said yes and he put the most stunning ring on my finger.
His mom and dad came down the path behind us and his sister, and her boyfriend popped out of the bushes nearby. I was both surprised and filled with joy. We took lots of photos and had gleeful laughs all around. During photos, the most magical thing happened, two mongooses came running by, a good luck symbol in my eyes - I loved it. After photos, we grabbed a bottle of champagne to bring back with us to the room to celebrate. After the bubbly celebrations, we headed down to the aquatic areas to swim in the ocean and then unwind in the adult's only hot tub. Afterwards, I took a shower then ended the best day ever with a poke bowl and some wine.
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