Let's face it, dating is time consuming, especially when you're working full time and there's a new episode of Game of Thrones to watch. Bring on the world of on-line dating. Yesenia needed an extra push which was provided by her good friend, Alex, and a few margaritas over Cinco de Mayo. As luck would have it and despite being in Florida for a work conference, Mark saw her profile the very next day on the app "Coffee Meets Bagel" and, as they say...the rest was history.
It was the question that started it all and while it's not that what Mark does isn't engineering, it's just that a crash for him is a bit different than a crash for Yesenia. You see, after spending four years of college at the University of Alabama, Yesenia, the San Diego native was brought back to sunny Southern California to work in the Aerospace Industry designing aircraft for Northrop Grumman. Growing up Yesenia would listen to her grandfather's stories of his time flying for the Marine Corps for hours on end. While, most kids ask their parents to go to Florida to visit Disney world, Yesenia wanted to visit the famed Cape Canaveral. It really wasn't a surprise to anyone when she grew up to be an aerospace engineer. Meanwhile, growing up in Oakland, Mark was very familiar with the air industry as his dad ran the Oakland Airport. But, the Northern California boy decided the bay was a little too chilly and decided to move south and study Management of Information Systems at San Diego State University. Mark now displays his software developing prowess at ServiceNow.
There was so much they had in common and they decided to start the conversation at the Liberty Station Public Market. Their first date started with casual beers in the warm outdoor biergarden as they watched planes take off overhead. They discussed books, hobbies, families, and travel. Neither wanted the conversation to end, so they decided to continue it over dinner and a stroll. Despite being a Monday and a work night, the pair stayed out talking and laughing for hours. The promise of a second date was easy for them both to make and they never looked back.
After traveling and sharing so many adventures together, Mark decided it was time to plan a trip that Yesenia would never forget. Everything was set in motion and despite having to travel half way around the world for work just days before, Mark was ready to pop the question.
It all began with a little plane ride to Catalina, and when we say little, we mean little. Daniel, Mark's Best Man and pilot, flew a surprised Yesenia to Catalina for the weekend. Early on, Yesenia shared her love of sailing with Mark by taking him out on the San Diego bay to teach him how to tack and jibe. It was then only fitting that Mark charted a private sunset cruise to pop the question.
Suffice to say, Yes said yes and despite having a dinner reservation, true to form, the lovebirds chose to grab a pizza and open a bottle of wine while they called friends and family to share the good news.