Our Love Story
If you ask Nicholas, I was staying in a hotel in Sydney the night before my flight to China and decided to kill some time by browsing Tinder. After swiping right for a while, I almost gave up. Then, out of nowhere, Shannon, 19, 3.4 km away, appeared on my screen. I had to act fast. "How can I catch her attention?" I thought. "I can't mess this up." That’s when I remembered Tinder’s “SUPER LIKE” feature, which you can only use once a day. I knew this was my chance, so I threw all my hope into the Tinder gods and Super Liked Shannon’s profile.
A little later, I received a notification: "Congratulations! You have a new match." I didn’t expect it to be her, but when I checked, it was! We started chatting that night, and our conversations flowed effortlessly throughout my entire trip to China. Shannon was always so enthusiastic about her day, making our chats never dull.
When I got back to Sydney, I was already planning how and when we could meet in person. A few weeks later, both of us had a free Saturday night, so we agreed to meet while Shannon was visiting her family on the Central Coast. I woke up early, brushed my teeth twice, fixed my hair several times, and was finally ready to go. Then I waited seven long hours before it was time to leave.
I drove down to the Killarney Vale Coles to grab some snacks, and as I turned around, I saw the most beautiful girl I had ever laid eyes on. I don’t know what happened in that moment, but I was absolutely blown away by Shannon. She instantly calmed my nerves without even trying. She was funny, kind, and everything felt too good to be true. Right then, I knew this was different. There was never a dull or awkward moment between us. We shared the same sense of humor, the same interests—it just clicked.
Six years have passed since that day. Shannon made Newcastle her home, and together, we bought our first house and got a dog. But if you were to ask me what my favorite memory is, it would be the moment I asked Shannon to marry me.
If you ask Shannon, it all started the night I matched with Nick on Tinder while I was out in the city with a few friends. I got a notification saying, "You have been Super Liked." Curious, I checked out his photos and thought, "Okay, tall, dark, and handsome—he seems like the real deal." Nick was flying out to China the next morning and mentioned he’d be gone for two weeks. After a few too many drinks, my friends and I headed home in the early hours of the morning.
The next day, I woke up to a text from an unsaved number that said, "I’ll text you when I land. Hope the hangover isn’t too bad." My first thought was, "Who would text me without saying who they are? Did I meet a pilot last night?" I called my friend to ask who it might be, and she guessed, "Maybe Nick from Tinder?" I went back to the app, checked our messages, and sure enough, it was Nick. And nope, he wasn’t a pilot.
Weeks passed, and we finally decided to meet up. I was heading to the Central Coast to see some family, so I asked Nick if he wanted to join. He mentioned he was stopping by Coles to grab a few snacks. When I walked into Coles, I spotted him—tall, tanned, and shy. But what really surprised me was what Nick had planned. He had set up the ultimate glamping experience under the stars. We spent hours talking, and not once did I feel bored. It was easy and effortless, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
After heading back to Sydney, I couldn’t stop thinking about how sweet, funny, and kind Nick was. A few days later, he asked to see me again. As we spent more time together, we built a beautiful friendship. I could always call him when I needed someone to talk to—whether it was about university stress, work, or just life in general. Eventually, we both realised we were right for each other and decided to make it official.
From that moment on, I knew I could picture my future with Nicholas—buying a dog together, buying our first home, getting married, having children, and growing old side by side. I can’t wait for this next chapter of our lives together.