Hi, I'm Alisha Rai. And I'm Sarah Wendell. Welcome to lovestruck daily where we deliver a love story every single day straight to your headphones get some tissues prepare for happy tears we have taken over our producers do not know about this episode. In fact, they are our audience along with you. It is an exclusive it is a personal love story. It is happening right now. Alicia and I have taken the show over sorry about that, guys, but I promise it's worth it. I'm in love
with the same to you. I'm in love with you. What we are sharing this week is it is your anniversary. Yeah. So we celebrate like a few things together is it's right around Valentine's Day. Yeah, no pressure. So it's kind of like a joint gift for both of us. Tell me very quickly. How did you meet Kai, we met on Bumble. We were both on the apps. And he actually lived pretty far from me. But he happened to be at his brother's one day for Super Bowl Sunday. And he was swiping on the apps there. And He swiped right on me. And I was not swiping on anyone. So I had signed up for like the bumble premium or whatever, which basically just showed me who had swiped on me. And he cropped up in mind. And I was like, okay, and I swiped you know, I was like, this seems pretty good. I can hit the worst pictures of anything like I cannot. I didn't know what he looked like they were all blurry, they were out of focus. But he had an amazing profile. Really, really great, really, really great profile. And so I was like, Okay, I'll take a chance on this guy. When we were going to meet up, I found out where he lived. And I was like that is so far out of my distance like parameters. I don't even know how we met. And I found out later because he was at his brother's at the time. But we met up in the middle and when we met I his photos were so bad that I walked right past. I didn't know who he was. I was like looking. I was like looking around like this man. It's like gonna be a question mark, like. And so I walked right past him and I walked inside and I texted him. I was like, I don't know, wait, I'm inside. I don't know where you are. He's like, I'm outside the door. Walk past me. And he just walked right by him. And he walked right in. And the first thing he said to me was, oh, you're short. very observant, but But it helped that he's very attractive.
So I was like, Yeah, instead of like, any other time would have been like this. It worked out well. I worked out well. It has been two years together. years together. We through the pandemic. I know two years of a pandemic two years of of life. I don't know how I don't think I would have made it without him. I mean, I don't think I would have made it honestly without his cat to be
worked or waiting to my Ark. And your sinuses into into my silence. Yeah, all of it. Like I cannot believe how much of my mental health can be attributed to both him and his cat that I didn't want. Now you have a cat. Now I have a cat. I regret to inform everyone spoiler alert the love stories between Alicia and put Yeah, the cat. Yeah. How are you celebrating your anniversary? I really love like, I love gifts. Oh, yeah, love gifts. I love giving gifts. I like getting gifts. I like I just like the idea of shopping for you give good gifts. Oh, thank you. I like I feel like I tried to put a lot of work into them. And like think about what the other person would like. Every time we go out somewhere. He hands me things to put in my purse. So irritating. And every time he does it. He's like, Well, men could wear purses. It wouldn't be like if it was socially acceptable. And every time I go like just wear one then and it's fine. Yeah. And so I actually I was like, he's very, like, he likes to be stylish. Yeah, it's very into style. And he like reads GQ, and he's very, you know, into all of that. So has like, let me look through GQ. And I realized like, like it's very stylish. Like it's a thing kind of for men to wear like belt bags like crossbody you know, across their their chest or their back. Yeah, she can like a really nice belt bag. So it got them like a coach like black leather belt bag. Oh, I was so nervous getting a chance. I don't know if he's gonna like it. He opened it. And he like freaked out like ripped all the tags off immediately. Like put it on right there. Let's go we're going out. I was like, Oh, that's so nice. So let's talk about his gift to you Saturday set the scene. What was the plan? Oh, yeah. So it was a Saturday before Valentine's so we're we came to Vegas for Valentine's and his his love language is very much like kind of experiences Yeah, over like, he likes to give me experience and like I love Oh, I love it. And so he was like, wear something nice. We're going to go on a boat, I thought was gonna be like one of those big like, you know, there's something called the Hornblower like, you know in the down in San Diego where it's like a big yacht. There's like a bunch of people on it. Yeah, we're like the only ones on it. It was so cool. And there was like a captain named Captain Jack. And he's like, Yeah, of course it is. And it was a really cool little like, I don't think it's uh, yeah, I don't know if it's like what it is, but it had like a little front area to go lounge in and stuff. And it was really cool. Really, really cool. Julian and Abby now would be a good time to turn on your mics to be our audience in person.
Okay, okay, Mike. Okay. Hi, ladies.
Okay. All right. Continue, Alicia. So we are sitting on the front of the boat. Not getting seasick. Very important. Not getting seasick. It was so beautiful. Like we passed like an hour. We were like listening to music and drinking drinks. At one point like, one of our favorite songs is from a very obscure movie, like very underrated movie called Meet the Robinsons. And one of the songs on the soundtrack. It's Rob Thomas's little wonders. Yep. And we love that song. Like we both really liked that song. So it came on his Spotify playlist. I was like, oh my god, it's our song. And he's like, Yeah, I love the side. So we're listening to the song. And he's like, Okay, turn, turn your head that way so that we can like, take some photos and stuff. And I was like, okay, and because I'm, if anyone tells me to pose for anything, I'm all over. I love it. And so I was like, Yeah, take my picture. And so taking a picture, and then he's like, okay, like, turn your face this way. And I turn around, and he has a little box with a little ring. And
if that's not what this is I feel like Abby and I are the guests because this is
a story. Okay, so now now I feel like we're Sara and Alicia. Right? Oh, like, do my best one.
Yeah, please interview me, please interview me. I have to tell you. So Saturday, I'm sitting on my couch. And I'm four hours ahead. So I'm sitting on the couch. I'm like a half a bottle of wine in and I get this text from Alicia. Can we FaceTime? And I'm like, no, because the thing that the thing that stands between Alicia and I is that I have an Android and she has an iPhone and yeah, never be broke. Never. Never the twain shall meet. Right. So I'm like, alright, I'll send you a zoom link thing from Oh, yeah, exactly. So I send her a zoom link. I'm thinking what's going on. And I get the camera come up. And I'm sitting next to my husband, Adam. And there's Alicia and Kai in the car. And I'm like, what's going on? And Alicia puts her hand up and I scared the dogs and the cat and Adam and I were just losing our collective cool. We were so excited. And it was so cute. Because Adam told us, you know, kind of how he proposed to Sarah and he was like, I was so worried I would lose the ring. Were you worried man?
I was like, Yeah, I was really worried. It was true because he was the entire time we were on a boat. Like it was a little bit rocky said how did you not? Weren't you're terrified. This would fly overboard. And he would every minute we were on that boat. I had my hand in my pocket. Yeah to Holding, holding on for dear life for in case that. That is exactly what Adam said. Yep.
So this is Saturday. This is Saturday evening. And so was this just like off the coast of whatever la like this is like from where was this?
Yeah. So we were in? Marina del Rey. Marina del Rey. Okay. It was right off the coast of Marina Del Rey. Yeah. And
so he they like a nice little boat. It was just a nice little boat. And I was like, This is so cool.
Like, I've never been on a boat by myself. Like, this is awesome. And you did you think it was coming? Did you have any idea that you were gonna turn around? And he was gonna be on one knee? Yeah. So the. Yeah. So we've been talking about this for a while. I like to say that when you get to a certain age, like, the actual question isn't the surprise, it's when it's going to happen. Because you can just kind of know like, we've been talking for a while about like getting married. And you know what our timeline is and when we want to have a wedding and how we would do it where we would do it. So I knew it was coming. The issue with chi is that he's such a perfectionist, when it comes to Grand jet like he loves grand gestures. And when I said he was like Winston like I was not so when I was like, I was not kidding at all. He had like, a multi step engagement plan. Like it was a big thing. And we did step one, like a like a month ago and I can't talk about it because I signed an NDA, not with him, but the people with where it was located? I can't talk about it. Oh my god, it will come out in a few months. So that was step one. And then I was like, All right, like, Let's go for I got my ring. And I I had known roughly like we went ring shopping kind of together where he like he was like, I don't want to buy something that you're not gonna hate. You're not gonna love this like, yeah, like thank you like, I love that. And so I think over the summer, we went ring shopping together and we went to a bunch of different jewelers. And we went down to Artesia which is like Little India because I was like, I want like, you know, I want like a higher carat gold, which is what Indian jewelry is because it looks better on like, I think I think it looks better on my skin. And so we went to this little Indian jeweler called Hi glow. And there was like this guy there, named Kieran. And he and Kai became like, best friends. Like, they were like joking together. It was so cute. It's like this older, like, you know, middle aged guy. And so we left there, and I was like, I'm gonna use him for that. Yeah, cool. And so I've given him like a bunch of ideas of things I liked and stuff. So I knew there was a ring in process. And after a certain point, like one day, out of nowhere, he was off for the day. And he goes, I have to go run some errands. I was like, okay, cool, go run some errands. And then he came back with nothing, nothing in his hands. Like, I think he went to go pick up my ringtone today. And this was, this was a month ago. Like he's, he's, he loves these grand gestures, but he's not the best. Except my god is very earnest.
He doesn't want someone who wants to, like do these things and can't hide anything from you,
but he cannot hide it. And he was so excited. And he kept getting phone calls from his mom that days. I I knew, but something was going down. Okay. months ago, this was like November or December. And so I, we did the first step in his plan. And I said, it's like, weeks, bro. It's what's going on? And he kept saying, no, no, no, I got I have like, got to Cali step. Like there's all these steps to it. There's all these processes. And so when we had Lamorne Morris on the show, I made Kai Watch operation Bobcat with me, which is the episode where Winston proposes to Alli, and he has this big binder. This is you. And then at the end of the episode, Winston realizes that, oh, she doesn't need all this stuff. She just needs like he distills his plan down to the core and any Joe's on with it. And I said, Do you see what I'm trying to get out here? And he's like, Ah, okay, yeah, I see what you're saying. So every weekend, he'd be like, Oh, we're gonna go to go boat ride. But then, you know, like, for some reason he couldn't get a haircut that day or something would fall through it, scrapped the plan. And I had kind of a feeling that that's what was happening. Like he couldn't get out of his own head to be to say, Okay, this is this is is doing, this is what we're doing. And so when we're driving, you know, after he did this, and we were driving back, I said, Did you have a bigger plan than this originally? He said, Oh, yeah, it was gonna be it was gonna be a whole weekend. Okay. But you see, like, it didn't have to be a whole weekend. You know, I'm happy with this and I'm happy with you. And honestly, the real story is that we tell our kids isn't necessarily going to be our whole weekend to get engaged or all the steps to get engaged. It's gonna be everything. Everything you know, this is a small blip moments. Okay? Yeah, I got it. I got he's after watch that New Girl episode I got I got what you're saying. Winston was very key in
this was enormously key. I was gonna say. So I guess what I'm hearing is that lovestruck daily podcast has played an integral role store engagement,
an extremely integral role, because I would be waiting for the next year. Well, he tried to make it perfect. Even though I would have been happy with anything. I said, I would be happy with anything. I mean, if you roll over one day and just hand it to me and say, Hey, you want to get married? I would be happy with it. Do you remember how you felt in that moment? When you turned around and he was on one knee? That's what I was gonna ask. He has good questions. I was crying. I cried during the first step that I can't tell you about yet. I cried during this step and he he does not cry. Like he will not cry. He grew up with an older brother. And for some reason that has shut off his tear ducts. Like he refuses. He refuses to show like tears and and he got a little teary eyed and I thought that was the best thing I've ever seen him like I remember more than how I felt. I remember how I felt seeing that like single tear drop out of his eye. And he said some really sweet mushy things and then, you know, as I said, you you know, William there and he put the ring on me and I was terrible. I was like, Oh my God, this refund fly up my hand it's gonna fall on the water. Terrified. She has not announced this publicly so we could tell you first Yeah, just so we could talk. I was going to text you guys and Sarah said No wait.
I was you guys were being very I mean for everyone listening at home who's also just like squeezing and gasping with us.
I kept this ring off my hand for the entire recording session because I didn't want you to see it.
So you knew this was coming? Kind of Yes. We've all spent our whole lives wondering what our proposals will look like. Yeah. How did it feel like how what was like expectations versus reality in that moment? Was it everything you dreamed of? How did it like actually feel?
It was everything I dreamed of? Because He's everything I dreamed of.
I'm actually crying like I am crying. There are tears. I am.
Just so happy Felicia, you have murdered Abby. Abby is now. I'm so glad he's not here. Because I would never hear the end of that. Oh, my. God, I hear it eventually. Because then every time it's like anything's like, oh, everything you dreamed. So for love to go as an expert. What makes a happily ever after work right now? I think the most key thing I can take away from this whole experience is exactly what I told Kai, which is sometimes you just have to do it. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be. Yep. Yep. And I remind him of that every day. And I know it's an echo from Encanto. You know, what, what would you have to do if it didn't have to be perfect? It just had to be and sometimes things can just be and they are perfect in the fact that they exist. I'm so happy for you. If you would like to email Alicia and say congratulations, you can email lovestruck daily at Frohlich dot media and if you want to tell us about how you got engaged, we want to hear that too. Email us We love hearing from you. You can also talk to us on Instagram at lovestruck daily on Instagram and the Twitter as my mother in law says and you can be sure to leave a review you can also drop congratulations for Alicia in there. We don't care. Subscribe, tell a friend and tell everyone that Alicia is engaged because we're really excited we want to tell everybody to our researcher is Jesse Epstein. Our editor is Jen Jacobs. Our producer is Abigail Steckler and little Scorpion studios. Our behind the scenes Hatcher of plans is Gillian Davis and we are executive produced by Frohlich media and I Heart Radio. And we wish you a very very happily ever after
