by Amanda
It was August 2007 when we both moved to Iowa City for the upcoming school year. We were both going to swim on the University of Iowa swim team starting that fall. The week before our freshman year started I moved into my room (with Caitlin Carlyle). Both Caitlin and I were extremely nervous to say the least to meet our future teammates. Kelsie Neubauer, another teammate, lived just a couple doors down and she is VERY outgoing. She came down and introduced herself and had us come down to her room. There was a crowd in her room and they were all going to be our teammates. I don't remember Sean being there particularly, however he told me this was the first time we met. I don't really remember meeting him for the first time, but I remember always seeing him with his long dark hair, sideburns, listening to Paramore, and wearing jeans.
During the first couple months at school, we talked occasionally, but were not very close. Later, we traveled to a meet and both the guys team and the girls team were on the same bus (usually we each have our own) and the guy's team made us watch the most ridiculous movie you will ever see... Starship Troopers.
Over Thanksgiving break, the name of the movie seemed to had slipped my mind. I texted Sean being the movie buff he is I knew he would know the answer. That night he kept texting me...and kept texting me... We continued to text more often when we got back to school.
Over Christmas break there was a group of us from around central Iowa that were planning on meeting in Ames to go to Hickory Park and a movie. The others bailed on us and it ended up just being Sean and I, which is probably the way Sean wanted it :) We went to the movie National Treasure 2. I was surprised when I arrived that Sean had already bought a ticket for me (such a gentleman). Later in the week, we went to Hickory Park to have dinner. Afterwards, he followed me back to Ankeny to see the new puppy my family just got, Zoey. I don't think Sean even held her (he is not that fond of dogs, and doesn't find Zoey cute....as Ashley would say "What-ayer"). He stayed over and watched Transformers that night. Even after the movie ended he stayed and we watched TV for a while after. Now at this point it was getting pretty late and I was tired and all I was thinking in my head was when are you going to leave??
Even with him always visiting my room and his charm over the beginning of the spring semester, I never got the hint as my mom would say. If finally did hit me. We then started dating after one of my not-so-good nights out on the town. (April 27th, 2008) Sean was there by my side helping me out.
Sean and I have had our share of tough times (mostly due to my stubbornness...yes Sean I do admit it) even though we don't share it to others often. Nonetheless, I know Sean will always be at my side.
Interesting fact: We sometimes joke about how we probably saw eachother many years earlier because we both swam on the YMCA swim team.We even have many of the same t-shirts and sweatshirts from back in the day.
Another interesting fact: Iowa State started school a week before us in the fall 2007. A bunch of friends and I went up to Ames to visit some friends that started school already. On our way to the dorms we were driving (I was the driver) and we saw a black Acura with an Iowa swim sticker on it. "It's your teammate! Go see who it is! Go!" I was supposed to pull right next to it at a stop light. I ended up stopping far enough behind so that we couldn't see eachother...I'm shy ok? Come to find out. It was Sean in that car.
The Proposal
by Sean
Reality set in upon arrival to the resort. How was I supposed to propose to Amanda? I didn’t want to do it at sunset on the beach; our resort faced East so the sunsets weren’t great. That’s when I thought why not sunrise? The beach, ocean, waves crashing down, and sunrise would be perfect. We just needed a reason to get up that early. That prayer was answered after Amanda’s mom, Dawn, had gotten up before 6 that day to lay towels out to save chairs by the pool and to take pictures of the sunrise. It was going to be perfect. I discussed the plan with Dawn telling her that I was going to do it at sunrise. She made sure Amanda and I would be the only two to wake up in the next morning.
It wasn’t until after I had set up the plan that I thought about what if she said no? This would have been awkward. Where would I stay? How would I get home? I decided to risk it anyway.
Sleep escaped me that night. When morning arrived, we made our out of the hotel room and down towards the pool. On the way, with Amanda being her graceful self, she managed to slip on the stairs and sprain her ankle. I can’t believe it. It isn’t going to happen. She isn’t going to want to walk on the beach. Great…However, once again my prayers were answered. Amanda said she wanted to walk on the beach to loosen up her ankle and watch the sunrise. We walked a few hundred yards from the resort along the beach, the whole time I kept looking up and down the beach to make sure we were alone. The perfect time came as the sun began to peak over the horizon. I then started to look her in the eyes and tell her everything there is to say to the one you love and got down on one knee in the sand. She never expected it. Once I showed her the ring she didn’t even say yes. She took it from the box and put it on herself. It was only after I asked a second time did she say yes.Sunrise. Riviera Maya. March 14, 2011.
The ring :) He did so good!
