Stephanie Barnett
My name is Stephanie Barnett and my fiancé is Michael Donnan. Born and raised in California, while he was born and raised in Northern Ireland, our relationship is uniquely challenging and enduring. We met in North Ireland at an Easter party and were immediately attracted. We only dated for a month before I had to return to the United States. Despite this we decided we could not be without each other. We managed to keep the long distance relationship alive, and in the process learned that being six-thousand miles apart helps create a relationship built on communication and understanding, not just physical closeness.
After six months, during his second visit to California, Mike proposed. I cannot imagine a more adorable proposal. Following a nice dinner out, Mike rounded up some blankets and pillows and took me outside with him to watch the stars. We lay down and looked up at the perfectly clear night sky we both love. We were just talking and laughing about nothing when suddenly he sat up and pulled me up facing him. He was silent for a second just starring at me, and I was getting quite nervous starring back. " I have an anniversary gift for you." he said. "It was going to be a Zippo with a penguin engraved on it for your collection, but it was not done in time for my visit…so I got you this instead." He then pulled out the ring, and asked me to marry him. I, of course, squeaked out an excited "yes."
Once the initial euphoria of being engaged had a few days to sink in, we were hit by a barrage of confusing paperwork and exorbitant fees from US Immigration. We surmounted the frustration of jumping through both the U.K and U.S. government's hoops, navigating the red tape, and reaffirmed the importance and worth of this relationship.