From Single to Married in 10 Months

I met my husband back in 2017 in a whirlwind romance. I had just moved back to my hometown, was working in the office at a local Foundry, had recently broken up with a long-distance boyfriend, and already felt defeated at the prospect of meeting the man of my dreams. I felt my chances of meeting someone I didn’t already “know” were slim, especially in small-town Iowa. On a whim one day, I decided to download Bumble – a dating app where the women message the men. I uploaded some of my favorite pictures, making sure I had a spectrum of photos that expressed my values and personality, and I got started swiping through the fellas who were hoping to meet someone (or to get a quick lay… let’s be honest).

Within an hour, I received a 24-hour extension from a tall, cocky, but good-looking guy. I chuckled, thinking, “He looks like a pretty boy basketball player… But, I guess I’ll send him a message.”

And, well, the rest is history to our love story.

Now, you may be wondering, was he actually a cocky, pretty-boy, basketball player type? Yes, yes, he was (LOL). But did I fall quickly? Yes, yes, I did.

We quickly bonded over our conservative values, fan love for the Chicago Bears, and our dreams for the future. Our first date was a night under the stars at Lake Lacy State Park in Keosauqua, and we just talked. We sat on the ground, he gave me his jacket, and talked for hours. To be honest, I thought he wasn’t interested; he never once tried to scoot closer – we had a foot of space between us the entire time! It wasn’t until he tried to kiss me at the end of it that I was taken so aback that I literally pulled myself away in shock. I’ll never forget his surprised look, but he braved through my shock and tried again – this time I let it happen. We have laughed about that moment ever since.

That night, he told me he wanted to go on active duty. During this time, he was a Navy Reservist, and to be frank, was not doing much with his life. Looking back, I see how badly he was struggling, and I just wish I noticed it sooner. However, all I said to him was, “If you are the one for me, I would follow you anywhere.” And I did.

Six months later, his dream came true. He got approved to go Active as an AWO. He left for Minneapolis, waiting for his moment to start his school in Pensacola. 2 months later, we were picking out rings at Helzberg at the Mall of America. A month after that, he proposed on the 4th of July. Then, a month and a half later, we got legally married on the beaches of Pensacola.

While he was in training, I was still in Iowa. When I got back from my little wedding on the beach, I was laidoff from work. I still wonder about the timing and the legalities of it all, and perhaps that was my first experience as a military spouse in the workforce… But little did I know, the best work was yet to come.

So, for the next 4 months, my mother and I planned my large Iowa wedding for late December. By the time November came around, Garrett was now in Jacksonville, FL, in an apartment we were renting. I soon joined him on Black Friday and went straight into looking for a job. After a month of searching, I got a job offer as a Marketing Project Manager for $14 a hour – a paycut from my previous employment – but I was desperate.

Once Christmas break came along, we drove all the way back up to Iowa, spent Christmas with our families, had a beautiful wedding, and then turned around and drove another 18 hours back now to Jacksonville. Its fun to think back at those times, excited for the new adventure that awaited us – but little did we know how BIG it truly was about to get…