It’s been over 4 years and a lot has been packed into that somewhat short but incredibly meaningful time. Rewinding to early 2020, my previous marriage had ended and deep heartbreak and pain were at the forefront, seemingly hijacking my story. I knew it’d be a very different kind of year moving forward, little did I know 2020 was going to be an unfamiliar struggle for the world at large.
I was so fortunate to have a support system that is so much stronger than I had ever known. It was a year of trial but also a year of discovery and perseverance. A year of finding myself again, and determining my own path. Innocence and unrealistic expectations were replaced with experience and real life 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈.
This was the part in my story where I decided to take back every hope and dream that my heart once held. Knowing that it’s not always perfect or easy makes life all the more worthwhile. Right after my last blog post in February 2020, I went on a spur of the moment trip to Cabo with friends to celebrate the beauty that can come with big changes in life. I’m grateful for incredible friends that are there to rally when things are hard, they were so crucial during this time and certainly gave me hope for the future. This ended up being a very important trip, one that would impact the rest of my life.
Nick was also in Cabo on a very last minute invitation from his grandparents, through a series of ironic circumstances. We both had no intension of meeting anyone on this trip, but thanks to some encouraging from my friends, I downloaded a dating app "just to see how they work." Thanks to the app’s location settings, Nick and I were able to connect. We didn't meet in person, but began talking back and forth. Once we were back home (Nick in Illinois, me in Texas), messages turned into long phone conversations and video calls. A really solid connection was formed over a short time, and we decided it was worth meeting in person.
Nick booked a flight to Texas shortly after in March of 2020. Once he landed in Houston, we were planning to drive to Austin for a weekend away. My mom said she needed to meet him first "just in case she needed to pick him out of a lineup." Needless to say, we had a great trip and were so excited to plan the next time we'd see each other...just in time for a global pandemic. We dated long distance and traveled back and forth that year, staying for extended periods of time and getting to know each other’s family members and friends. We really couldn't remember a time before each other, and we realized both of us felt just like "home."
The summer of 2021 was a very challenging one when I went through my fourth manic episode. Mental illness was something brand new to Nick, but he went way above and beyond the call of duty and supported me with the most patient, enduring, and steadfast love. His amazing support system rallied along with mine, and I became stable within a couple months. Depression inevitably followed, but I walked through it with this wonderful person by my side. Just when I thought my support system couldn’t get any stronger, God gave me Nick, and I’m beyond grateful.
I moved to St. Louis later that year, and I’m really proud of the life we’re building together. We've walked through a lot together over the past 4 years, and have supported, encouraged, and loved each other wholeheartedly. We’ve learned so much from each other, and our unique strengths and characteristics bring a much needed balance. We share a natural open-mindedness and we’re up for almost anything, which has been a huge part of our relationship and has helped us adopt each other’s interests.
I am beyond convinced that God writes the very best love stories, way better than anything we could have come up with on our own. I’m certain that Nick was the person I am meant to be with, but I’m very thankful for the journey that we were both on that led us to each other. Without the winding road, I never would have found Nick and I don’t think we would have been drawn to each other without our past experiences (more on that later). We had a dream of a wedding a couple weeks ago on June 15th and we’re excited to continue to live this beautiful life to its fullest.
I’m more passionate than ever in sharing the absolute possibility of a full, vibrant, and meaningful life regardless of a diagnosis, or any other obstacle that at the time feels like there’s no path forward. Now in this new chapter, I hope to use this as an outlet to share tidbits and insights from my experience, as well as compile stories from the incredible people I’ve met along the way that have walked through their own obstacles and emerged bright-eyed.
Wedding recap video