Maddie Anderson’s weekend began like any other. Her boyfriend, Tyler, headed to the gym for his usual weekend basketball game. Shortly after he left, Maddie received a text from a friend inviting her to go shopping, which she gladly accepted. As she was getting ready, there was a knock on her door. Her neighbor, a close friend, stood there holding a large manila envelope and a bandana.

Curious, the San Diego resident inspected the bandana and found a message written on it.. “It said ‘Operation find Ty,'” she said. “There were details about attire and the weather, written as if I were a detective on a mission to find Tyler by sunset for a special reward.” He had set up the day to remind her of her favorite show, “Law & Order: SVU.”

Maddie Anderson feeding animals at the zoo. Photo courtesy of Anderson

Maddie immediately jumped at the idea of a scavenger hunt. She followed the instructions and even made sure to wear ‘comfortable shoes’ which was on the list of rules. Her first stop – her favorite coffee shop where a friend had her next clue.

“She was in full character, ‘Hey, I’m here to give you your first mission. I’m one of the operation coordinators,'” Maddie said, laughing. “I was like, ‘Okay, what’s going on?’ She sat me down and immediately played a video from rapper and actor Ice-T, and I was completely shocked.” Ice-T plays Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on the hit TV series she had been watching since college.

Ice-T said, ‘You have a mission, follow the clues,’ and then there was a flash of a ring in the video,” she said.

At that moment, Maddie, who had been dating Tyler for 10 years, began to understand that a proposal was likely at the end of this hunt. For 12 hours, Maddie, 32, followed the clues given to her by friends and family all around San Diego. A chauffeured SUV took her to each new place, like her favorite restaurant, a park, and even the zoo. 

“If this is how he proposed, I’m just excited to see how our wedding is and when we have kids and they have birthdays, he’s just so thoughtful, I think. I can’t wait to see what else he does,” Maddie said.

@maddieeeanderson My mind was blown 🤯 Check Part 1 of my proposal adventure for the full video 😂 #fypage #proposal #engagement #proposalstory #icet #lawandordersvu #detectivetutuola #surpriseproposal #proposalideas ♬ misses – Dominic Fike

At the San Diego Zoo, she wore a red panda hat and made her way to the tortoise exhibit. After feeding the animals lettuce from a bucket, Maddie found a map of the zoo at the bottom, along with a special flashlight.

She said yes. Photo courtesy of Nadia Nowak-Leight

“I was like, why a flashlight? It’s the middle of the day,” Maddie said. “So, I’m examining this map, turning it around, trying to figure out what it means. Then I realize, okay, I guess I have to shine this light on it. I moved into the shade and started shining the light, revealing that Tyler had written the next clue in invisible ink on the map, which led me to the penguins.”

After a backstage visit and an up close look at the penguins, Maddie got a bracelet that had ‘Japanese Friendship Garden’ engraved on it. Then after a trip to a speakeasy, her mom and her cousin showed up with a clue to go to a store, where a dress was waiting for her.

“Then I got in the car and they blindfolded me, which was not comfortable at all, especially since I get carsick,” Maddie recalled. “I had no idea where we were going.” At this point, obviously, I’m in a dress, preparing myself for Ty. I’m thinking this is probably a proposal.”

Finally, she reached the last spot on her list – Torrey Pines State Reserve. Even more special was that Maddie’s dad and mom had gotten engaged there, as well. Waiting nearby was Tyler, with a blanket4 and flowers … and a ring. 

It was a yes from Maddie. The viral fame from her TikTok video of her proposal just highlighted Tyler’s love for her. “It’s funny, my fiancé is not huge into games. I love true crime. Those aren’t his interests at all,” she said. 

@maddieeeanderson Spoiler alert: I found Ty by sunset 🥹 Operation Find Ty was literally the most fun I’ve ever had, and the reward at the end was nothing short of magical 👱🏻‍♂️💍🥰 #proposal #proposalvideo #proposalgoals #engagement #engagementring #engagementstory ♬ original sound – Maddie

Source: People