Look Mom, I'm Famous

Fairytale Kisses & Rom-Com Meet Cute 

The year was 2009 when my Love Story began....flash forward to the start of the new year, and I was newly engaged and found myself featured in Sports Illustrated. Wait, what?!?!?! Let's rewind here...It was The 2010 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl game between #6 ranked Boise State and #4 ranked TCU. My Fiancee and I were scholarship athletes on the Football and Dance/Cheer team, and pretty excited to be at such a huge BCS Championship game together! It was a close game and Boise pulled ahead, winning 17-10. It was a momentous occasion and I remember being on the sidelines about to burst with excitement. The Dance/Cheer team was going crazy and before I knew it the confetti cannons burst and we rushed the field!

  It was one of those surreal moments that I remember with perfect clarity. If this was the Rom-com movie of my life, then this was the moment where Darcy meets Elizabeth to proclaim how ardently he loves her. It's Bridget Jones running out in her underwear to declare her feelings for the man who loves her unequivocally. Or when in the crowded pub, Graham searches for Amanda. And when there eyes finally lock on each other, genuine happiness and hope fills their hearts. This was my moment, my perfect meet cute; where the Princess gets scooped into Prince Charming's arms and begins her Happily Ever After.

Confetti sprinkled across the field like drifting snow, swirling around the layers of athletes, referees, cheerleaders, and fans. I felt lost in the storm of of Blue and Orange, and suddenly found myself invisible amongst the hustle and bustle of sweaty football players, sparkly poms poms and the sound 50 thousand fans celebrating or groaning with defeat. I let my feet guide me towards every white jersey I saw, frantically looking for my number 54. Then all at once there he was. At the 40 yard line, he slowly weaved through until there was a clear path between us. My heart pounding with joy, I followed its beating pattern and began to run into his arms. I found him. I found the love of my life and nothing was going to stop me from celebrating this win, wrapped in his embrace and kissing him senseless.

I was lost in our kiss, and only when it was time to come back up for air did I hear the click clicks of the cameras. Out of nowhere, we were surrounded by the Media and were being pulled left and right by men with small notepads asking us who were were, how to spell our names, did we know each other, who kissed who first, did he propose and etc etc. Despite the attention we were getting, Mike never let me go. It was cliche and something right out of a romance novel, but here we were, wrapped in each others arms amidst a sea of reporters and all we wanted to do was keep making out! 

Weeks later, our pictures were featured in Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, countless weird web searches and even turned into a Meme. My parents saved a copy of the picture featured in a newspaper clipping and kept it taped on their fridge for almost a year. Looking back at this moment, I would like to say it was the excitement of winning the game that led me into his arms. But honestly it was a whole lot of raging hormones! I was newly engaged and the moment I realized our picture was being taken I had no reason to stop kissing the man of my dreams.

Almost 8 years later and I'm still jumping into Mikes arms. Our puppy love evolved into a strong Marriage relationship. Two kids later and I still like to reminisce on the "good old days" were it was socially acceptable to make out in front of THOUSANDS of people. Were by no means a perfect couple, but we've got a pretty perfect kiss immortalized right here on the Internet. For as long as I live, I will never regret kissing my fiancee in such an extreme public display of affection. That kiss serve's as a reminder of what our love felt like when we were in the beginning stages of our relationship. It was all butterflies, goo goo eyes, and the start of our Fairy Tale come true.

“The minute I heard my first love story,

I started looking for you, not knowing

how blind that was.

Lovers don't finally meet somewhere.

They're in each other all along.”- Rumi