Matilda's Story

I decided to download Tinder. Again. I could only take Mati, when are you getting a boyfriend? or Mati, when are you gonna get married?! so many more times from the various kids I babysat, family members, etc. I came upon a guy named Bowser and instantly texted my friend, Haley. Theres only so many people with the name Bowser, and I knew I had heard about by a friend of hers with the same name. She responded saying he was the nicest, funniest guy, so I decided to go on a date with the stranger with an even stranger name. We go to Sugarhouse Park, and set up a hammock. I bombard him with seriously 500 questions, trying to keep the awkward silence to a minimum. We end the night and I thought I crushed my chances with him. Why did I KEEP. TALKING?! He obviously wasnt feeling it, he had nothing to say! Turns out our anxiety styles are a little different. I cant stop talking, he cant talk at all. We keep texting, and I invite him to Haleys Fourth of July party, and he says hes coming! I am freaking out all day thinking about him being there, but so excited. It was one of the best days of my life. We BOTH couldnt stop talking this time! I couldnt get enough of the conversations, and was so sad when the night was coming to an end.

We go on a date to mini golf and gelato, and I swore that was the best day of my life. He let me cheat my way through the game, we rode a Lime scooter to gelato and around Sugarhouse, and I had never felt so happy. I think from that day on we spent every minute we could together. He would come over to my house and play Rockband with me, I would go over to his and walk his dog Bandit with him. Anything that required one person now required two, because there was no way I wasnt having Bowser around. And it has been that way ever since.

Fast forward a few months to May 2024, and Bowsers birthday is coming up. He has planned this fun trip to Moab, somewhere I had never been, and the whole itinerary was a surprise. On May 9th, his birthday, he drives me to Skydive Moab. Anyone who knows me knows I am the most anxious, not adventurous person alive. But Bowser sure has a way of making that not the case. He somehow gets me on that plane, I jump out, and as Im about to land my guide says You see what that sign says? I yell back NO I DONT HAVE MY GLASSES ON!!!, somewhat irritated. My guide says It says Will you marry me? And suddenly the skydiving/risking my life was worth it. Id do anything for/with him. And I swore that was the new best day of my life.

Turns out when youre living life with Andrew Nelson, every day becomes the best day. I love him so much and am so excited to spend my best and worst days with him.

Bowsers Story

Its April 2023 in Sugarhouse Utah. Im attending the University of Utah studying Speech and Hearing Sciences with plans to become an audiologist. Im dating casually with no plans of getting into a relationship. One day, I match with a girl, Mati, on Tinder and I strike up a conversation with her...only to find out shes good friends with Haley Killeen; who promptly told Mati I was the coolest kid on the block, but she mightve exaggerated a bit. Anyways, weve got friends in common, so what else could we have in common? We talk back and forth for a few weeks without making any plans, until we finally decide to go Hammocking in Sugarhouse park together. Im anxious as can be, and I only talk about the really important things like our favorite colors and ice cream flavors. I remember walking away from that date thinking I blew any chance of seeing her again. But I ask her to hang out again to play cards with our friend Haley and my roommates; which she said yes to. I was shocked, but took the win in stride. Fast forward to July and weve hung out a few times since our first “date”, but nothing super serious, and Im still shy around her. Im on my toes with my heart thumping in my ears every time were around each other. I feel like a bundle of anxiety bursting at the seams. But my saving grace, the 4th of July, is almost here. Mati invites me to a swim party at Haley Killeens for the 4th of July, and I accept her invitation. That was the tipping point. The 4th of July felt like fireworks. I show up to Haleys house, nervous as can be. I know there are going to be people here I havent met...and everyone knows Im Matis plus one. I pick up the courage to enter the party, and it turns out that even though Im late, Ive still arrived before most people. I say hi to everyone, get introduced to some of Matis friends I havent met...and promptly start talking to Larry, Haleys dad, about his Traeger and what hes got on there right now. Little did I know that when everyone got in the pool, it would start the conversation that changed everything. I dont remember all the details, or everything we talked about, but Mati and I talked for hours, like no one else was there. From that moment on, we started hanging out every chance we could. I would get off work and go to whichever friends house Matis group was at tonight...mostly her place in Sandy or Owen Bergs, who lived 5 minutes up the road from me. Weekend plans to the Pingree cabin in Kamas? I was there. Beatles Rock Band in the basement? I was there. We were seeing each other pretty much every day, and I knew I wanted to keep seeing her every day. So I decided to ask her on a serious date, not just hanging out with friends or talking in the park. I ask Mati to go to Mulligans with me for a round of mini golf and dessert after, which turned out to be the best date of my life at that point. Don’t tell her this, but I definitely beat her at mini golf, I just changed the score card a little bit to stroke her ego. After mini golf we took a trip to Dolcettis for gelato. We walked around 9th and 9th talking about everything under the sun, riding a lime scooter after we’d finished our sweet treats. Everything about her seems so genuine. So on August 12th I asked her to be my girlfriend. And now, just over a year later, we’ve decided to see each other every day for the rest of our lives; and I couldnt be happier.