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Miguel stays the course and lands the love of his life — Stacy
By Emily Zimmer | Photos by Dan Iverson | Anthologie
Location: The Gardens of Castle Rock
Miguel and Stacy met in the fall of 2006 at Winona State University. Miguel was doing homework in his dorm room when Stacy came bursting in. Stacy said friends had suggested she meet Miguel so she decided to drop in.
“I was being a good college student and studying,” Miguel said. “Stacy came back from a party and burst in my room and started bothering me.”
At Winona, Stacy worked as a resident advisor and Miguel has friends who were also RAs. Sharing a group of friends, Miguel and Stacy started to see each other often. Overtime the two found that they shared a similar sense of humor.
“Miguel’s infectious laugh, really drew me to him,” said Stacy.
Over the next three years, their friendship grew and the two started spending more time together, just the two of them.
Early on, Miguel said he was interested in being more than friends but Stacy didn’t want a boyfriend.
“I was the girl who never wanted to get married,” Stacy said.
Every now and again, Miguel would suggest they start dating but Stacy kept declining.
“It was a cat-and-mouse game. I was very hard to get,” Stacy explained.
Then one night, while out at for drinks, Stacy and Miguel kissed. While talking about the night makes them both blush, that kiss would lead to the start of their romance.
The kiss occurred shortly before summer break. That summer Stacy moved back to the Twin Cities to do her student teaching and Miguel traveled to visit her.
“When he came to visit, I realized he really did like me,” Stacy said.
After the kiss and his visit, Miguel said he felt like his persistence was paying off.
So one more time, Miguel asked Stacy if she wanted to start dating. This time Stacy said “maybe.”
For Miguel that maybe was as good as a yes.
“Her maybe was an ‘OK, I’m in,’” said Miguel.
After that the two became inseparable.
Travel Buddies
One thing Miguel and Stacy share in common is an adventurous spirit. Both like to travel and so it’s become part of their connection.
“We travel well together,” Stacy said.
Specifically, Miguel and Stacy enjoy taking road trips together.
“I used to hate road trips but with Miguel it’s different. I really love taking road trips with him,” said Stacy.
They like seeing the sites, listening to music and having the chance to enjoy each other’s company, Stacy said.
Not all their travels have gone smoothly, though. A few years back, the couple took a trip to the Grand Canyon over a long holiday weekend. Specifically, the couple wanted to drive Route 66.
“It’s so iconic, we just felt like we had to see it,” said Stacy.
Not sure how far they would get, the couple decided to wing it instead of making hotel reservations. That turned out to be a bad decision.
Finding a room in Flagstaff, Ariz., the town nearest the Grand Canyon, proved to be difficult and very expensive. The couple ended up paying more than $300 for a trashy room.
“We just both sat and cried and then we got a pizza and laughed about it,” Miguel said.
While the experience was stressful, Miguel said the trip proved to be a good bonding moment for he and Stacy. Specifically, he said being able to find humor in less-than-desirable situations is what makes them work as a couple.
A life-changing trip
Stacy and Miguel’s travels have brought them closer together throughout their years of courtship and it is central to their engagement story.
For the couple’s four-year anniversary, Miguel surprised Stacy with a trip to Chicago. Little did Stacy know, Miguel had also asked for her parents’ blessing to propose.
“Miguel asked for my dad’s blessing. That was a big deal for my mom and dad,” said Stacy.
On the plane ride to Chicago, Stacy said Miguel seemed out of sorts but she didn’t give it much thought because they had experienced some bad flights recently. The first night in Chicago, Stacy and Miguel did some sightseeing and called it an early night.
The next morning, Miguel gave Stacy a gift. It was a small picture book with photographs of the two throughout their relationship and little written messages.
After Stacy finished reading the book, Miguel asked her to go back to each page and read the first letter. When put together the letters spelled out ‘Marry Me.’
Miguel then got down on one knee and formally proposed. Obviously, Stacy said “yes” and the couple called their families to announce the good news.
The book itself has become a treasure for the couple. The idea for the picture book organically came to Miguel. He had been researching ways to propose and didn’t see anything he thought was fitting. Then one day, the idea to do the picture book just came to him. Down the road, Stacy said it’s something they will show to their kids.
