A drink, a hike, a ring

The wise and wonderful Eco Yogini posted an offer to interview readers of her blog, and I took the bait. So herewith, a little more about me, courtesy of some thought-provoking questions from Eco Yogini.

(Go check out her blog - its got tons of useful eco-insight and yoga fun that will enliven your day. I love her sense of humor and lightness in writing about yoga and eco-issues!)

1. Tell us the story of how you met Mr. Barefoot and how he proposed.

I met Mr. Barefoot through my friend FiveTen who also does field research in Asia. We studied a local language together one summer, and found out that we had a lot of similar interests (and that I knew her brother from college!).

When Mr. Barefoot was new in town, FiveTen introduced us at a party. He asked for some work-related information, and, because I was slightly intrigued (though I was dating someone else at the time), I made sure to send it to him. But he didn't respond to my email...

FiveTen and Mr. Barefoot became roommates, so I got to know him a bit more at their frequent parties. My previous relationship ended, as did his. Eventually, he suggested that we get a drink to celebrate my submission of an important funding proposal. The midweek day he had suggested for our drink was Valentine's Day. (He insists he didn't know!). I didn't get the grant, but I did get a boyfriend.

Last December, a week before we moved in together for the first time, Mr. Barefoot organized a hike in Muir Woods with a bunch of our friends. He and I had just returned from a Thanksgiving trip to Argentina for a friend's wedding, so I was eager to settle down, get organized and return to my dissertation writing. He insisted that we go on the hike because it was the only time our equally busy group of friends could meet up. One by one, our friends mysteriously flaked out. Mr. Barefoot and I set out on our own for a stroll through the redwoods.

But something was awry: the normally articulate Mr. Barefoot could barely carry on a conversation. He seemed terribly distracted and unfocused. Finally, he suggested that we go to a nearby beach to watch the sunset. That seemed like a good idea to me: we could sit in peaceful silence.

We walked across Muir Beach (where we had shared an excellent afternoon with my brother and sister-in-law on their visit to the Bay), until Mr. Barefoot paused to tie his shoe. When I turned around, he was on one knee with a velvet box in his outstretched hand!

(Parts II, III, IV, and V to come...)