Dear Diary, it’s official – I’m engaged!

We had the most wonderful, romantic, candlelit dinner at the Arkaba Hotel tonight and drove up to Windy Point to look at the city lights. Outside the Nurses Home, sitting in Greg’s mum’s green Morris 1100, he gave me a little black velvet box with a beautiful sapphire and diamond ring and asked me to marry him.

Of course I said YES!!

I know that he’ll be gone for at least a year but he and Mick both believe that, as their marbles didn’t come up for National Service (and probably Vietnam!), they were meant to go on their surfing safari around the world trip. They want to spend a year away, travelling to Bali, South Africa, Hawaii, the west coast of the USA and any other world famous surfing spots. Late April is when they want to leave Australia and Gerri and I agree it’s better for them to get this surfing safari over and done with before both boys settle down and get married (I think Gerri is hoping Mick will propose and he might, now that Greg has!).

I need to finish my nursing training before I get married as none of the training hospitals allow trainees to live outside of the Nurse's Homes, so a long engagement will work out for both of us because our love is so strong. I really want to go on to study psychiatric nursing (another year of study on top of the 3 years for general nursing) since I’ve spent such a long time working in Ward 19 with the great team of psychiatrists there. Just wish I could do both - finish my training and travel with the boys around the world (not that my surfing is in their league!).....

Mum will have a fit when I tell her I’m engaged as she’ll say that 18 and 1 month is far too young! But we’ve been seeing each other for 18 months and we both know what we want from life. Once I’m qualified as a sister, I can nurse anywhere in the world as Australian nurses are in heavy demand. Greg could use his surveyor’s qualifications and we could travel and work overseas until we want to start a family.

I’m going to wear my ring into breakfast tomorrow morning in the Nurses Dining Room and see if any of the other nurses notice....as it I could keep a straight face.

I nearly ran down to Gerri’s room to tell her tonight when I floated into the Nurses’ Home on cloud 9..... I’M SO HAPPY, I could burst into song, or maybe tears of happiness!!! I wonder if Greg has told Mick yet? Mick will try to phone Gerri in the morning as she’s on a late tomorrow and then everyone in the Nurses’ Home will know. I think I’m a bit delirious and just know that I won’t be able to sleep, which is a bit of a bummer as I’m on an early (6.45am) and have to test 37 urines before ward breakfast - how romantic. Maybe that job will bring me back down to earth before Sister catches me.

I AM ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!