How We Met
Nick and I met in the most unique way… Around Christmas time in 2011, I sat down with a few of my friends, Molly & Morgan, to discuss our spring break plans. They told me about this awesome resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico called RIU; it was an all inclusive, super fun resort that had a really exciting downtown life that was actually safe. We met with all of our parents and decided let’s do it. So April of my junior year of high school (now 2012) we left for PV. As soon as we got there, our parents checked in and I was scouting out the lobby. Molly, Morgan, and I sat down to decide what we wanted to do first, which was ultimately the pool, when all of sudden, this huge group of very loud teenagers & parents walked in. They were in these obnoxious bright neon yellow t-shirts and us girls looked at each other and thought, they seem like a lot of fun.
Later in the pool, we met a few boys that were from this neon yellow shirt group; they are from Michigan, and this was their senior class spring break trip. Unfortunately, it had been a VERY long day of traveling and we called it an early night that first night. The next day, we all woke up early and excited to spend the entire day in the sun. My family is more of a pool family, than a beach family, so that is where we really spent a lot of our time. Plus, the pool at this resort was SO fun. There were games, constant loud music, and a swim-up bar. It was incredible! So as my mom and I sat on the edge of the pool, sipping something sweet – this red head, wearing aviators + a flat bill hat (I know, how horrible) walked across the pool to the bar to grab a few drinks. My mother, playing matchmaker, says “ooooh, what about him, he’s really cute”. Sidebar: my mom is a red head and I believe that’s why she said it. I though hmmm, okay well he’s a ginger. And then he turned around, and I saw his perfect smile.
About an hour or so later, I sat in one of those amazing inclined chairs that were in the water, when I noticed this boy next to me was reading a book on the best GOP presidents. And anyone who knows me, knows I just HAD to talk to him about it. We sat there talking for a few and then someone swam up to ask him something. & guess what? It was the red head my mom told me to talk to just a few hours before. (AHH) So we met, and I found out his name: Nick Clark. We talked all day in the pool until dinner, and said we would meet up after. We ended up talking the whole night, and every night the rest of the week. We talked about our lives, our families, friends, school, grades, everything! I couldn’t get over how well I connected with this person and for only knowing him for such a short amount of time. I just knew there was something different about him, but I knew in just 6 days, we would be leaving, and I didn’t know if I would ever see him again….. Little did I know I was about to embark on the journey of a long distance relationship for the next four and half years…..
how they asked
My family have always been huge cruisers, it is our favorite type of vacation, and we love going to the Caribbean. Anywhere were we can get frozen drinks and a beach.. sign us up! My parents took my two older siblings, my sister-in-law, Nick, and I on a 7 night Caribbean cruise this past March. That was our big Christmas present for this past year. Nick had never been on a cruise before, but he was so excited for the trip. He is a very outgoing and friendly individual. Always making a joke, dancing to his own beat, and singing loud to anything on the radio. And more than anything, he is always trying to make me smile. The last formal night of our cruise, he was being oddly quiet. I of course asked him why he was being so quiet, and he said he was just tired from being in the sun all day. Which made sense, due to us dancing on a catamaran all day in Jamaica, so, I thought nothing of it! We got ready to go down to dinner and we stopped to take pictures in “Central Park”, It is this beautiful section of the cruise on the 8th floor that was all real plants, trees, flowers…very romantic and whimsical!
We had taken pictures there all week, it was really an amazing spot with great lighting. We all took pictures as couples, when my older brother Kyle pointed at a light covered archway and said “Tori, go over here to take some.” So Nick and I walked over casually and took a picture, and then oddly, Nick stopped and went over to Kyle’s camera to look at it (Apparently he was making sure the lighting was good, which he NEVER does) and as soon as he got back over to me, he grabbed my hand, and murmured “Will you marry me?” … Very unexpected, I said “UM, right now?” Of course I said yes after that! He had this speech he was going to make to me, but he turned into complete mush when he got down on one knee.
Apparently Nick gave my dad the ring to hold on to it when we got to Florida before we got onto the ship, Kyle knew he was taking pictures, and Dylan, my other brother, knew it was happening and got it on the Go Pro. I thought it was so sweet he included all the boys in on it.
My mom and sister-in-law had no idea it was going to happen. Most importantly, Nick knew that I wanted to use my Great Grandma’s engagement ring as my center stone for my future engagement ring. He took it months before and had it placed into the setting I wanted.
It is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen, but more importantly, it is a ring I will never be able to replace; a ring that is so incredibly sentimental to me, because I actually never got to meet my Great Grandma. He did SO good!
