thedrifter
05-20-07, 10:23 AM
Year spent deployed leads to engagement
By: Anna Chimowicz - For the North County Times
Serena Grippo and Nick Nappi have not had your average relationship.
They met online at Match.com. At first, the timing wasn't right and they lost contact. A year later, in summer 2005, Nick finally asked Serena out on a date. They went to Dave & Buster's in Mission Valley, where they had dinner and played games for six hours.
"At that point, I never thought in a million years that he was looking for a serious girlfriend," said Serena, 27, who lives in Escondido with her family. Nick, 29, is a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, and was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq that November. They both knew he'd be leaving, so the couple just hung out and had fun that summer.
When Nick left in November, both were saddened. "But we said, let's be realistic," Serena said, "The chances of us staying together for a year are not that great." Both of them wanted to stay in touch, though, and they continued to talk and send e-mails while Nick was in Iraq.
"I had gotten so attached to him," Serena said.
Then Valentine's Day rolled around, and Nick sent flowers to Serena. But instead of making her happy, the flowers made Serena cry.
"I had hoped he would write 'Love, Nick' on the card, but he didn't, and I started bawling!" said Serena. She thought, "Did my brother send me this?" She called her mom into the room to show her the offending note.
"This was when I knew I loved this man more than I had realized," Serena said in retrospect. They laugh about it now, but at the time, Serena was questioning herself, "What am I doing? He doesn't even love me!"
Which, of course, turned out to be false. Nick was simply being guarded. Having been in the Marines for 10 years, he had seen many guys receive "Dear John" letters, and heard relationship horror stories while his buddies were deployed. But he came home for two weeks in June, and they decided to take their relationship to the next level.
Serena had spent months training for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon that Nick wanted her to do with him in June. "I realized that she wasn't all talk, and that she would do what she had promised she'd do," said Nick. Both of them also said, "I love you."
By the time he returned home in November, their families had met over brunch at the San Luis Rey Officer's Club at Camp Pendleton. Nick had a month of leave, and the couple spent all their free time together, including visiting both families for Christmas, first in Modesto and then in Escondido. "He drove eight hours through the night to get me home on Christmas morning!" said Serena, who had never been away from her family for Christmas.
Nick then received word that he might be moved with the Marines, and he decided that wherever he was, he didn't want to be without Serena. "And I didn't want to uproot my life for a 'maybe,'" said Serena.
They became engaged in March, at the same Dave & Buster's where they had their first date, and will hold their reception next September at the same Officer's Club at Camp Pendleton.
"Because our families met there, that place will have special meaning for us," said Serena.
And because they don't like to do anything by the book, they have already been on their honeymoon: a romantic trip to Rome, Florence and Venice.
Anna Chimowicz is a freelance writer. To suggest a Celebrations story, call (760) 740-3515 or e-mail to celebrations@nctimes.com.
Ellie
By: Anna Chimowicz - For the North County Times
Serena Grippo and Nick Nappi have not had your average relationship.
They met online at Match.com. At first, the timing wasn't right and they lost contact. A year later, in summer 2005, Nick finally asked Serena out on a date. They went to Dave & Buster's in Mission Valley, where they had dinner and played games for six hours.
"At that point, I never thought in a million years that he was looking for a serious girlfriend," said Serena, 27, who lives in Escondido with her family. Nick, 29, is a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, and was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq that November. They both knew he'd be leaving, so the couple just hung out and had fun that summer.
When Nick left in November, both were saddened. "But we said, let's be realistic," Serena said, "The chances of us staying together for a year are not that great." Both of them wanted to stay in touch, though, and they continued to talk and send e-mails while Nick was in Iraq.
"I had gotten so attached to him," Serena said.
Then Valentine's Day rolled around, and Nick sent flowers to Serena. But instead of making her happy, the flowers made Serena cry.
"I had hoped he would write 'Love, Nick' on the card, but he didn't, and I started bawling!" said Serena. She thought, "Did my brother send me this?" She called her mom into the room to show her the offending note.
"This was when I knew I loved this man more than I had realized," Serena said in retrospect. They laugh about it now, but at the time, Serena was questioning herself, "What am I doing? He doesn't even love me!"
Which, of course, turned out to be false. Nick was simply being guarded. Having been in the Marines for 10 years, he had seen many guys receive "Dear John" letters, and heard relationship horror stories while his buddies were deployed. But he came home for two weeks in June, and they decided to take their relationship to the next level.
Serena had spent months training for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon that Nick wanted her to do with him in June. "I realized that she wasn't all talk, and that she would do what she had promised she'd do," said Nick. Both of them also said, "I love you."
By the time he returned home in November, their families had met over brunch at the San Luis Rey Officer's Club at Camp Pendleton. Nick had a month of leave, and the couple spent all their free time together, including visiting both families for Christmas, first in Modesto and then in Escondido. "He drove eight hours through the night to get me home on Christmas morning!" said Serena, who had never been away from her family for Christmas.
Nick then received word that he might be moved with the Marines, and he decided that wherever he was, he didn't want to be without Serena. "And I didn't want to uproot my life for a 'maybe,'" said Serena.
They became engaged in March, at the same Dave & Buster's where they had their first date, and will hold their reception next September at the same Officer's Club at Camp Pendleton.
"Because our families met there, that place will have special meaning for us," said Serena.
And because they don't like to do anything by the book, they have already been on their honeymoon: a romantic trip to Rome, Florence and Venice.
Anna Chimowicz is a freelance writer. To suggest a Celebrations story, call (760) 740-3515 or e-mail to celebrations@nctimes.com.
Ellie