How We Met
I have always been a big believer in fate, and I truly believe fate is what brought Jack and I together. I was a junior in college and my friends insisted that I download a dating app as a joke–we thought it would be funny and never anything serious. I came across a picture of Jack, who in that split moment was traveling through Grand Rapids, MI, where I lived. Our paths may not have ever crossed otherwise since he resided well outside of the mile radius set on my settings. I was immediately interested because, 1. His profile picture was a picture playing baseball and 2.His name was Jack. That sounds like a weird reason to be interested in somebody, but I have always been obsessed with the movie Titanic and Jack Dawson, so it was an opportunity I could not pass up!
Jack and I started talking and our conversations were always so light-hearted and fun. We both kinda said we were on here just for fun, not really looking to meet up with anyone or date and I thought of him as a friend. We talked for months about life, interests, hobbies, whatever odd topic came up in conversation. He was home for the summer and lived in the next state over. I openly let him know I was dating because I thought we were just friends. One day, everything changed for me; I had a terrible day and was also not happy with my dating life. I remember him cheering me up and realizing how kind of a person he was. Why should I waste my time with people who don’t treat me right, when I could spend my time with someone who genuinely wants to make me happy?. I knew I finally had to meet him and I was blown away to hear he felt the same way!
About a month after, we met halfway to go on a little date. Unfortunately halfway ended up being the middle of nowhere in Indiana, where restaurants and attractions were scarce. He found a restaurant with, what seemed like, good reviews and we came to find out it was a “hole in the wall” truck stop restaurant in the middle of a cornfield. We both laughed it off and ended having the perfect day despite the location we were in. There was an instant connection and butterflies in my tummy that I couldn’t shake, we both wanted to make this work.
It was never easy the first couple of years, we battled through many obstacles in our relationship. Going to different colleges, living in different states, Jack playing collegiate baseball and even spending over 6 months away from each other when he studied abroad in Australia where communication was not the easiest. I never once believed my love story would come into fruition the way it did, but it led us both where we are now, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world!
How They Asked
I knew early on that Jack would be the man I married, and after 4 years, I knew the proposal had to be close. After a few “false alarms” where I thought it would happen, I had a good feeling when we left for a vacation to Iceland. We were heading to see the Northern Lights and Jack seemed a bit on edge; I hoped this was finally the moment I had waited for. Unfortunately, our search for the lights was unsuccessful as was the non-existent proposal (I learned later he planned to do it that night, but I’m so glad it did not happen!). After getting my hopes up, I decided I had to stop anticipating this big moment and accepted that it may not happen this trip.
The next morning we headed out early– I had gotten little sleep, had no time to shower, and was wearing scrubby clothing due to the cold and rainy Icelandic weather. We drove to Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which we actually almost passed up. The waterfall was breathtaking; Jack suggested we get a picture in front of it, which we typically did at every destination. I asked a random couple to take our picture and when they asked how to use the camera, he volunteered to show them how to use it. What I didn’t know was he told them to take as many photos as possible because he was going to propose!
It was around 35 degrees at the time, and the mist from the waterfall was drenching us, certainly not the most romantic moment, let alone a moment that I thought would become our engagement story. I began to walk away and Jack grabbed my hand. At first, I was confused, but I remember the instant butterflies in my tummy when I saw the look in his eyes. It took me a few seconds to realize what was happening because I was taken off guard. Before I knew it, Jack was on one knee and I was frozen. After popping the question I knew I needed to say something but I couldn’t find the words. With tears in my eyes I finally managed to blurt out a “yes!” and an outburst of applause from other tourists surrounded us. That day I learned the best things in life happen when you least expect it and it couldn’t have been more perfect!
