April 18, 2021
Rachel:
Our love story kicks off in the most modern of ways - all thanks to an app! Totally crazy, right? But hey, I guess that's how destiny works sometimes. From the first time we met I knew there was something about Humberto that just felt right. I mean he was handsome and had the cutest accent ever! Our first date at Lazy Dog in Addison, TX, was a blast. We talked for hours, and it felt like no time had passed at all. I remember thinking, man, I could talk to this guy forever! And that feeling only got stronger as we kept seeing each other.
Humberto:
Who would've thought.. me on an app and a cutie made the first move by liking one of my pictures. And there it was, one of the most complicated days I've had in my life, thinking for a full two days what to say to not scare her away. After 48 hours, I noticed one of her pictures was in Culebra, Puerto Rico so I said to myself, everybody is probably giving her props on how cute she is and those pretty blue eyes, so I said "Oh nice you've been to one of my favorite places in Puerto Rico". Who would've thought that pick up line would get her talking to me!
Couple weeks after, here I am trying to plan a laid back but promising first date, again not to ruin my chances. One of the only times I've been early, was to our first date. And of course she was running a little late. So my brain started moving 100 miles per hour and I'm thinking.. what if she's not real? what if I'm being catfished? What if she doesn't like me or my accent? How am I going to keep her entertained on our first date so I don't bore her? While my brain is spiraling, this blonde lady in her 60's was walking towards me and staring at me....so I said well, I'm definitely being catfished, how do I escape? But, a couple minutes after, there she was walking in all sun-kissed with blonde curly hair and the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, and that's when I knew.. Oh boy you better not screw this one up, she's way out of your league.
Rachel:
So, get this: not even a month into knowing each other, I had this solo trip to Costa Rica planned. And since Humberto is such a gentlemen he offered to take me to the airport. Smooth move, right? The night before he had to take me to the airport - he asks me to be his girlfriend! We'd only been dating for barely a month...talk about unexpected. But of course, how could I say no to the sweetest, most handsome man I'd ever met?!
Humberto:
Here we are again, my brain going 100 mph... a little bit after we met, Rachel mentioned about a trip she had planned to Costa Rica, by herself. A couple weeks after her still talking to me, I'm panicking because I didn't want this beautiful young lady to be single on her solo trip to Costa Rica. But also we had just been talking barely a month and I didn't want to scare her by moving too fast....BUT I knew I needed to lock that one down! After a couple weeks I already knew she was a keeper.
Rachel:
Our relationship just keep growing deeper the more we got to know each other. Humberto's work often took him between Texas and Puerto Rico, adding an adventurous twist to our love story. Despite the challenges that brings us, I couldn't imagine a life without Humberto by my side. Come June of that year (2021), I was on a plane heading to Puerto Rico to meet Humberto's family for the first time. Talk about nerves! I mean, I'm pretty fluent in Spanish, but Puerto Rican Spanish is a different world! But you know what? They welcomed me with open arms & then Humberto took me on a tour of the island. I wasn't just lucky in love with Humberto and Puerto Rico, but I also loved meeting my new amazing Puerto Rican family.
Humberto:
Rachel always has a way to keep me on my toes.. she has always mentioned her dream of relocating to Costa Rica and so here I am in another challenge to convince her that Puerto Rico is better than Costa Rica. Little did I know, I was also kinda helping Darrell keep his daughter in a US territory at least. In June 2021, there was Rachel on a plane heading to Puerto Rico to meet our beautiful island and my family. I knew with this girl coming home with me, I would impress everybody and man, I was so excited to show off the 10/10 woman I had by my side.
Rachel:
By October 2021, I'm pretty sure I was already "dropping him hints" in his email with the exact engagement ring I had picked out. Sorry not sorry. But hey, when you know you know & sometimes you just gotta let him know too. Then in October 2022 I sent it to him again, just in case it got lost.. Then finally in June 2023, the love of my life proposed to me in the most perfect way I could imagine, on the beach, just the two of us. I don't like surprises, and it's really hard to surprise me in the first place (which he absolutely did), but this was one of the best surprises in my life. I think when he got down on one knee and opened the ring box, instead of saying yes immediately I think I said "WOW it's so big!".
Then a week or so after that proposal, we were back in TX and heading to my Grandmother's house to spend father's day with my Papaw. Humberto, Papaw and I were all on the front porch swing, with my dad standing behind us, listening to my Grandmother read us some scripture and bless our marriage. When Grandmother closed the bible, she looked at Humberto and said "YOUR TURN BERT". Then he got down on one knee again with the real ring and asked me again - just wanted to make sure it was a 100% yes! I couldn't have imagined a sweeter proposal than both of these proposals.
Humberto:
I must be doing something right. 6 months into dating, here I am opening an email with a picture of the engagement ring that Rachel wanted and where to get it. And again, my brain was going 100 mph thinking as a man what can I offer her as I'm growing my business and my profession? and also thinking how I can prove to Darrell that I'm ready to take care of his #1 daughter, Rachel. Two years later, in June 2023, here I am planning a two-part proposal for the love of my life. It took me two years because well, it was two proposals! I had the challenge to create a sweet proposal in her favorite place, the beach. Rachel is a hard one to surprise so I used my dad's birthday as a distraction. So we went to La Selva which resembles an adventure, like our whole relationship. In a 4x4, on a muddy road, on the way to a hidden beach, where Rachel had no idea that there is no birthday celebration, it's just a great time to show her the first ring and ask her to be my wife. After her coming off cloud 9, knowing that it was happening, she noticed that the ring was similar but not the one she sent in the email, so I told her that there was a part 2 to the proposal coming soon..
Here we are, back in Texas ready to execute part 2 with my partner in crime, Grandmother and of course, my secret camera man Darrell. I had expressed to Grandmother that I want her to bless our marriage, since her and Papaw were a beautiful example of a long and loving marriage (69 years), and what's better than to have the 3 people present who made my future wife who she is today. Of course it was a little bit challenging to bring Grandmother and Papaw to the beach, so I remembered a good ole' Wilson tradition - the front porch swing. With Grandmother reading us scripture to bless the moment, and Rachel holding Papaw's hand, I asked her again, for the second time, to marry me. I just wanted to make sure she was sure she was saying yes.
Rachel:
Our life together has been nothing short of an adventure and I wouldn't have it any other way. Navigating the challenges of living between two different places (Puerto Rico and Texas) along with the uncertainties of the future. But one thing remains strong - our love & commitment to each other & the thrilling journey that lies ahead. As long as we have each other, we have everything we need. Let the next adventure begin..