Bachelor Happy Hour - Sydney Hightower Talks Life and Love after ‘The Bachelor’

Episode Date: April 26, 2022

Sydney Hightower stops by to talk wedding planning with her fiancé, NFL star Fred Warner, and how her life has changed since she appeared on “The Bachelor.”   In their conversation, Sydney discusses why she thanks “The Bachelor” for bringing her and her fiancé together, who she was expecting to be her Bachelor when she arrived at the Mansion, and what it’s really like being in relationship with a professional athlete. Plus, she shares some fabulous details about her upcoming San Diego wedding and reveals who from Bachelor Nation will be standing by her side as she says, “I do.”    Then, Becca and Michelle get to know Sydney a bit more through a fun round of rapid-fire questions. Don’t forget to rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode.  See omny.fm/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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I got my girl Michelle with me once again, and I'm so excited to catch up with you. Yes, it's so nice to be back. I'm really excited for this episode. We are going to have the fabulous Sydney High Tower on with us today. If you do not remember her, she's from Peter Weber's season. So she has not really been in like the Bachelor world for a little bit. So I'm really looking forward to talking to her and catching out. Yeah, it'll be fun to have her on.

This is actually, I think, her first ever official bachelor-related podcast. Obviously, like right after Peter's season, COVID hit and shut the world down. So this is her time where we can actually get to know her a little bit more since it's been a couple years. But before that, Michelle, I want to catch up with you because, before we started recording, Michelle is actually getting me up to speed on all the things that people are doing on TikTok these days. And one sounds very interesting that I think you and Nate are going to try out. Michelle, what is this? I mean, I'm keeping it my personal duty to keep you up to date, Becca, on these incredibly, incredibly important things.

But my fifth graders are actually talking about it a little bit. But on TikTok, there is this new challenge where you try to chug a full bottle of Sprite without burping. This sounds horrible. And I thought that it, like, I feel like it would be easy. And then now that I've seen that nobody's actually successfully done it, I'm kind of like questioning, like, should I actually do it? I've bought two bottles for Nate and I. Nate doesn't like the dancing TikTok challenge. is, you know. So I want him to try this one. Have you ever done anything like this?

Well, yeah. So in high school, I did, it was for like my dance team's scavenger hunt. One of the things we had to do was chug pop. And so I chugged, yes, I say pop by the way. I was just kidding. I already know people are going to call me out on the podcast. I love it. But I had to chug a mountain dew. And right away, I vomited. So to this day, I absolutely hate Mountain Dew. It disgust me to no end. When I see people drinking it, I'm like, that's so gross. But it's not easy because of the carbonation. So I'm wondering, what size bottle are you talking about? Like, are you talking about, like, a 16 ounce water bottle size? It's not like a liter.

It's like a 16 ounce. But I don't even know why I think, like, the competitor in me is like, yeah, I can do this. But I can't even chug a full bottle. water without like being extremely full so I'm so how so if you and need are going to do this how does one win like is it whoever chugs at first or whoever doesn't burp first okay so I think we were going to just see if we could do the challenge so we weren't even like competing against each other I mean like we're always competing against each other like I'm brushing my teeth like I'm brushing my teeth But I'm new. We're just so competitive. But it's just more to, like, complete the challenge

because it seems like nobody's done it. I want to see somebody who's actually successfully done this without getting sick. I would actually try. Does it have to be the sprite, though? Like, could you do, like, a seltzer water? I don't. I think it has to be spright. I mean, I guess that's been the challenge, right? I'm not sure if you can, like, switch it up. Interesting. But I'm definitely really nervous. I'm really nervous to do it. Okay, well, you have to record this when you actually do it because now everyone, including me, wants to see this. Oh, man. Okay. Well, speaking of Nate, too, when do you see him next? So he's actually, okay, so he packed up a lot of his clothes and just came in Minnesota for a while, him and Percy.

but for the last few days he drove up to Canada to see his family and I'm actually flying there tomorrow. Oh nice. To visit his family. Yeah. So it would be nice to be able to like spend some time and yeah and everything. Well, I was going to ask you because obviously every now and again, because you are still kind of doing the long distance. You're not fully moved in together. So how often would you say like a week or a month do you see each other? So it's been different this month because he has been staying here for a little bit longer, but before that, it would be like every two weeks. It's kind of like the same schedule.

Like we had just adopted the happy couple schedule, you know, where it's just like every two weeks, like that weekend one of us would be flying to one or another. So we picked Minnesota. It's been raining and sleeting and snowing for the last two weeks. So it's going to be really hard to talk him into moving here now. But the son's out today, but he's not here anymore. Every day my mom and my girlfriends that still live back in Minnesota will give me updates of the weather. And I'm like, I can't complain because I'm currently in like 75 humidity and it's beautiful.

But my mom yesterday was like, I just made a huge pot of slipby with ham soup because it's been snowing and it's so dreary here. And I'm like, I think it's time to move, Mom. And come to California with me. Yes. Yes. Although you've been traveling, but you are so. in warm weather, right? You're in New Orleans? Yeah. Oh, no, no, no. Now we're in Texas. So

okay. Yeah, we, I mean, the beginning of the tour, like the first couple weeks it was cold. We were in the Midwest and then we did the northeast side of the country. And so that was cold. Like, we were in the snow and the rain. But now we're finally in the south. So it's warming up. So it's been beautiful. So I can't complain now. But I definitely did not pack for warm weather. So I still have like all of my heavy winter clothes. me on the bus so we finally go to California next week so I can swap it out which will be nice but yeah that's awesome and you you've been able to like take days well you have a day off and I feel like a lot of people on their day off just with how much you are up and going would

take a nap and slow down and it seems like you're doing the exact opposite you are sightseeing you are what has been the best thing that you've done so far that you've like truly enjoyed oh my Gosh, throughout this entire tour? Oh, man. Well, so yeah, usually I probably should rest just because I'm like, go, go, go throughout the week when we're doing our shows and I'm talking so much. But I've just been like so anxious and homesick lately that I don't just like want to sit around on my day off. I'd like need to get out and do something. Otherwise I'll like just be sad. So we had a day off a couple days ago in New Orleans, which was so fun. We were. actually there on Easter Sunday, which was freaking wild. Like Oh my God. And I've been to New Orleans before, so I know it's crazy. It's obviously a party town, like especially near Bourbon

Street. But I like expected to be like that, you know, on Mardi Gras and like on those kinds of holidays. But like Easter Sunday, like the Lord's Day, it was freaking insane. I was like, the people watching was so good. It was so messy. Like

it was, I was like, damn. Like I can't imagine being here at Halloween or any other like actual party holiday. But it was so much fun. Like we walked around. I was with some of the dancers and the crew and we just ate our way through the city. We had so much like Cajun Creole food, so many bignets. What was your favorite thing that you ate? Oh my gosh. Well, I love crawfish because the only time I ever eat it is when I'm in New Orleans and it's crawfish season. So I had I had crawfish et tufei. We had jambalaya. red beans and rice um gumbo like truly anything that you think of like when you think of new Orleans cuisine um we had and it was so so good new Orleans kind of kicked my ass though we like

went out and partied hard that night and I have not partied like that in a while and I was like damn these old bones can't keep up with this anymore like it took me out the next day we had a show in New Orleans and I was like in a fog I was like I like I like I like I like I like I I need one more day after just to recuperate for my day. What is this? Yeah, it was crazy. But it's so much fun. But, yeah, it's been exhausting.

So I'm ready to finally get back to California next week and finally see the dogs and see Thomas again. Because, I mean, this is the longest Thomas and I have been apart. So when you and Nate say that you take like two weeks apart, I'm like, I never want to do that again. I hate it. I don't, it's not enjoyable by any means, you know? It's really not. It's, but. Yeah, it's a drag.

being homesick is the worst too like being homesick is just there's not always anything you can do to necessarily like you know supplement it except for going home right or having thomas and the dogs come up which obviously he can't travel with them right now so but it's the end is in sight it still is so it's so enjoyable so yeah i'll see him very very soon um so how is how is connor okay because your Ivan is now up and running right but we haven't spoken about how everything went with Connor because I think we left off at Rodney yeah who crushed it yeah not surprised oh my gosh rodney was so fun on stage so I mean so was Connor Connor's like a natural born performer like he's a musician he's he lives on the stage like that's what he does and so he was a natural up there

and it's just so funny because like he's one of the only guys who I would say like really put in a lot of thought up front like before he even started doing the show of like how he wanted to make it his own so he of course traveled with his guitar his ukulele like he was trying to get pianos up on stage to perform so he was like he was made for the stage and so it was fun to see him in his element just doing his thing um i always get kind of nervous because like the on the days off we have to train the guys and like basically prep them for what the show will be and like what they have to know in like their role. And he was the one I was like, I'm not even worried about him. Like, give me 15 minutes with him. He's got this. Like, he'll be good.

Yeah. So any cat costumes? We did see the cat costume a few times. He wore it a couple times. And then actually we had one show where I just thought the cat costume was lost. But a girl, one of the contestants on stage actually ended up getting it somehow from our wardrobe guy, like 30 seconds before she came on stage. And she wore at the end. entire time. She ended up winning that night. And so it worked in her favor, but it was so funny. He like wore it during fantasy suites at one point, like the hat. And I was like, this is a very weird fantasy of yours. But yeah. It's entertaining, though. So entertaining. And obviously the audience eats that shit up. So, yeah. Okay, wait, though. Isn't there a clip circulating where he may have like gotten

close to kissing a contestant? Oh, probably. Yeah, so there's a part in the show every night where we basically like recreate movie scenes. And there's one where the guys like kind of lean into it and get flirty and get like close. But I always cut them before kiss because like, you know, some of the girls and women on stage either have boyfriends or are married or like, I mean, Ivan this week has a girlfriend. So I'm like, there's no way I'm going to let you get remotely close and feeling comfortable. but but I did ask Connor because he was the one most of the guys were like yeah you know this is more for fun like I'm not going to find anyone but Connor was the one bachelor who was like I'm in it like I will kiss someone he's like we were in Nashville for the last show he's like I live three hours from here like I could legit meet a wife tonight like I'm all for it and so every night I'd be like okay is there anyone that you like want for this specific scene that you want to kiss because I'll set it up for you and there were three times where he's like yeah I'd kiss her I'd kiss that girl like three different nights and then when I like went into actually do it. I would like look at him and then he'd like give me a face and he'd like back out

last minute. So I'm like, I don't know what you want here, dude. But yeah, he got he got up close and personal with some of the girls. Dang. I did not expect that from Connor. But Michelle, I want to bring our guest Sidney on because she is recently engaged. And when we saw her leave Peter season, obviously she was single. So I want to get her whole story on what life has been like for her since Peter's season and since COVID. So let's just bring her on again. She is Sydney High Tower from Pilot Pete's season. Yeah, let's catch up with her right now. How are you doing? I'm good. Thank you. How are you guys? We're good. Beck and I were just, Beck and I were just talking that this is your first Bachelor podcast, correct? Yeah, I think so. Because like right after, yeah,

my season i don't think i did like a bachelor when i think i did like some other like whatever they spin off ones yeah but yeah well welcome we're excited to have you i feel like peter season got the short end of the stick because obviously literally the day after the finale COVID hit hard and like everything shut down so it's good to finally have you on and catch up sure thanks for having me i'm so like not in the world so just like when eddie texts me i was like because we're close and he lives in the bay and i'm in the bay and um i was like sure why not you know yeah well i'm excited to catch up with you because you are kind of removed from this bachelor world now because just like a recap for our listeners you went on peter season left covid hit and um you met your now fiance

during that time correct right so like after you that everyone knows like your like life's going crazy everything's changing or like coming into this like what the hell's going on and then also in that time is when producers are like okay like are you still single do you want to do paradise and so i was still single at the time and i was just like why not like i was like so nothing could really changed from the time i got kicked off until they started like talking about um going to paradise so i was like why not you know if you guys want me and you think it would be fun and i'm like still single and available and ready like let's do it so then of course fast forward to COVID happens. Everything gets shut down. And all, I mean, of course, looking back, it was like

my blessing in disguise, because in that time, I found Fred. And if I didn't, you know, if I would have gone on Paradise, I would have never connected. So, yeah, we definitely, everything just stopped after COVID. I'll say that for sure. How did you? Yeah, how did you meet? Um, so, it's so funny. So he found me on Instagram, of course. And then, because that's like, how, live works now um and then he were just like i didn't like reply to his message because i was just like what is this like i had so much so he slid into your dms he slid into the ds wait was he smooth with it what did he say he literally he's in like kill me from that he literally said me a basketball and like was like because he was like now looking back he says well i didn't think you were gonna

ever reply so i didn't want to like say something and get like hurt my ego so i was just like testing the waters and i was like okay so then of course like i'm curious now like what is this basketball thing and then i like waited a few days and i was like okay whatever i'll message him back and then um because like i was like oh this guy is like very good looking he seems like a good guy i don't know um so i messaged him back and he was like oh she's shooting my shot so like okay oh i was wondering why it's kind of clever though that's actually good and if i wouldn't have ever responded it wouldn't have been like a like a gut to the chest you know Yeah. So were you, that's like a really good tip. Were you living in the Bay Area at the time? No. So I was still living. I'm from Alabama. I was still living in Alabama, working Alabama. I would like fly to L.A. for like stuff. But like I was never really out in California much more than like a week or two at a time. And then he is from San Diego originally. So like he's in San Diego. I'm in Alabama. How would that ever work? You know, so ends up, you know, we talk and we communicate.

Kate for weeks, like a month, another month. And then I'm like, oh, I'm going to be in LA shooting the women's hell. And like, will you be around? Because he does his offseason training in like the Orange County area. And he was like, yeah, actually will be, you know, like we should fit like the stars aligned. Like we should go get dinner or something. And then long story short, they aligned. We went and that's when we first like met in person was the like the weekend after the woman told. I love that so much. That's really. actually like fate and I like feel like I have no it really is it really but you leave the tell all and you're like Peter who I got this hot man coming by the way you have to give it the

phones and I had we met the night before and then I had to my phone it was just like it was just the most amazing situation I couldn't have wanted anything better it was just it was like Michelle said it was fate for sure so when you guys sat down you said that you sat down at dinner right yeah were you I'm guessing you were like super nervous were you were there any like awkward or was because you guys were talking for so long, you just clicked right off the bat. You know what? The only awkward,

only voice, this was so funny and so random. Someone, like, came up to me and was like, are you standing from the bachelor? I'm like, what the heck? Like, I wasn't even, like, I didn't even,

like, what the heck, why are you coming up? And, you know, like, so caught awkward, because I would think if anyone came up to us, it would be someone for a friend because he was, like, big in football back then and whatever.

So I was like, so I was embarrassed by that because, but he, like, ate it all up and, like, had to, like, get up and, like, take a picture of us together. And I was, like, very embarrassed by that because, like, that's just, like, not how I view myself. And it was just kind of like, oh, and I was, like, just meeting this guy. And it was, but that was really the only other than that, no, like, we're so similar the way we grew up.

Like, our family, everything was just, like, spot on. So it was really easy to keep conversation going. And I think when you know, then you have your person and you're, you're for a person that you guys can click, it's just not uncomfortable or hard, you know. So then how long did you date? Because you've been engaged for about a year, correct? Yeah. Okay. So you dated for about a year before that, then the engagement happened.

How did that all go down? And wait, time out. I want to see the ring. I was going to say, I can't even focus until she says us or shows us the ring. Oh, hell yeah. Oh, another pair shape. Look at you too. I love it.

I had like long fingers. So I was like, I think a pair just like he elongates the hand. And I've always wanted a pair shape. It's beautiful. Both of yours are beautiful. I have such chubby fingers. I'm like, nothing looks good on my hands but that is study has anyone told you okay wait so you wear yours

wait show me your show us your ring again so i wear it like up where it's okay so i let me see it i remember like this where's yours down the other way does it does it mean something you're wearing your ring wrong and i really put it on i was like isn't it supposed to go down like i was i always thought it was supposed to be the way yours is michel but he was like no like the guy that designed is that it's supposed to go up so i was so in the sense that i've always worn it up But I originally 100% thought it was supposed to go wrong. So I, Nate proposed this direction, right? Like Neil Lane told them the point goes towards your heart,

but then every the one that I've run into is like, it's supposed to be the other way. So like, and you have that the other way. Something that's so interesting. Maybe it's like the clodda ring. I'm Irish. So like when you have the clodda rings, which is like the heart with the crown on top and like the hands holding it,

you're supposed to wear it different ways, whether you're single in a relationship or married. So if you're single, you wear it on your ring finger on your right hand. And then if you're, I think, dating somebody, you wear it on the left, but the heart goes away from you. And then when you're married, you switch it and the heart goes towards you. Like the point goes towards your heart. Dang, I got it all wrong. That's a beautiful ring though, seriously.

So beautiful. He did well. How did he? Okay, so how did he propose? I'm super curious. So he actually was all, he'll told me after we are engaged that he had been holding on the key had the ring and it was on his person for like three months. And he just like didn't know when to do it because like we went back home to my hometown in Alabama. He thought he was going to do it there, but it wasn't right.

And then like all of these circumstances where he just thought he was going to do it for three months. And then ended up, he decided. So we go to Napa a good bit because we're in the Bay Area. It's only like an hour drive. So we go to Napa and like I love. wine and we just love like the wine country and just like the whole vibe so he knows someone that owns a winery out there and he just like contacted him and said like I think today's the day like I want to do it and then they set it all up and it was like hectic and he just was like you just

like let's just go like for a day in Napa so I like I didn't know like it was going to be what it was but I just had a feeling of just like because like he I don't know like it was just like you kind of like get that feeling a little bit and we always dated with the purpose so I knew it was like sooner or later and like my our families are very involved in too so um but it was just so beautiful and he did it at somewhere that i just absolutely love and it was just like just like what he says in the moment it's just like it's so special you know i love that did you have any family and friends like hiding out there was it just the two of you no it was just us too which i liked because like i am not a person that likes to like be like oh like Sydney or like or just like even us we

FaceTimed everybody afterwards. They all knew, but it was us, too. Yeah. Oh, that's lovely. That sounds like the perfect way for it to happen. It was simple. It was, it was just the way that we are. It was private. It was just who we are. So it was, yeah, I loved it. Yeah. Your photos from that day looked beautiful, too. Oh, I was going to say, so beautiful. So was he, okay, I'm thinking back of how he slid into your DMs shooting a shot. Was he a fan of the show? Or how did he come across you? Just like, randomly in the search tool in the search bar it's really funny so he had been single like he had just like like they went to the super bowl he lost the super bowl so he was just like oh like down and out and just like hanging out his house not leaving his room and he was like watching like he would like watch shows but he didn't watch The Bachelor but his family did um and they were like his brother is married and his wife like called him and where they're just like they do like

family face times and they were like there's this girl on the show that we're watching and like she is just like your type your vibe like he's like come on like you're being like this is so crazy ridiculous like i'm not going to find this random human and just like reach out but he did he he waited until i got kicked off and then he waited like two weeks and then the show had been over obviously and he found me on instagram and then shot his shot wait so when he was okay so his that's so sweet that the family was a part of it like they were were like team Sydney like from square one that's awesome they were okay wait so when he was watching it yeah did he know that you were going to get kicked off or he was like sitting there hoping that

you'd get kicked off so he gets that into you know no because like it hadn't been like the end end of the show yet i forget how all of that works but yeah no i don't he i don't think he knew that i was like not in a relationship yeah he had to wait until i was kicked off and then he waited longer and then he reached out He's like, please. Isn't that so funny? Like, a lot of his family, like, watching the show and finding me.

It's so funny. So does his family take credit then for, like, putting you two together, like, matchmaking? I mean, it's all. I mean, he did the work, but they definitely found me. That's so fun. I love that. That's really cute. The show brings people together in the weirdest ways.

Regardless. I mean, it's true. It's the biggest blessing I've ever done in my life. Like, of course, it wasn't as great as I was. wanted it in a moment but looking back i mean i would never have been where i am in life i've never find like the man i'm going to spend the rest of my life with if i had not done that show it's right right i'm curious so how far did you make it on peter season again you made it fairly far correct i made it like a week or two before hometowns that's right okay so so when you were there

And I'm sure this is like hard to even fathom you putting yourself back in that position of like dating Peter now that you're happily engaged. But when you were on the show, did you fall for Peter? Like did you actually feel like, oh my gosh, this is my guy like this could work? You know what? I think initially I had first of all, because we didn't know who it was. So like I thought it was like, you know, I thought for so long that it was Mike Johnson and then it wasn't. So I was like, but I literally, we found out the night before we went out. So I was like, just like an off initial attraction. I knew like, I had like seen him. I was like, okay, Mike Johnson's like my vibe. Like we can talk. We've got similarities. But then it was Peter and I had

never like looked into him much. I had no idea who he was. So I was like, okay, like let me just redo this all in my brain and like get ready for this. So like I did. I was completely like open everything so there for just like the full experience and everything and, you know, really meeting him. um getting to know him and then we did but just like we just like never clicked um the only time that i got like that little like butterfly like okay he maybe likes me is when like i got two group eight roses like in a row so i was like okay like so i hadn't spent a long time with him but he is reassuring me with row two roses so i'm like okay so maybe he's into me more than i actually think i just never thought he was ever like at all into me um so that was really the only point that i was like

okay you know he may be into me but then that quickly went away and it was just we just never clicked we never clicked yeah yeah what was your entrance my entrance was uh i just i walked up and i was like i know you like girls from alabama because you know around but you know not your typical southern girl and then i was like walk away clever simple it's okay simple i like simple works i i you know looking back i wish i would have done like something like super big and funny because it's so much easier to like chill out i just i think that my whole experience i took it a little too serious which it sounds a little bit weird but i should have just been more like blah whatever like have a good time be silly be funny because i think i would have enjoyed it more not being so

all the time right who it's like you do what you can though because like it's the first time you're going through anything remotely like that and you just respond like as best as you can right it's such a wild experience who from that season are you because you're are still pretty close with some of the girls, right? I know I, so I talked to Victoria Paul yesterday, talked to Victoria Fuller last week. Jasmine, I talked to her weekly. Kira Norman is like my best friend.

She's actually my maid of honor. Oh. Me and Natasha Parker, I mean, I'm close to a lot of them. Like, we are like this. And we talk, like, it's a weekly thing. Like, they're my girls, you know? I love Natasha. I love her so much.

She's the best. She truly is. such a good friend and really just is there with wise words all the time so um yeah so a lot of the girls I keep up with I want to ask you so you've now been engaged for about a year do you have pretty much all of your wedding plans set how has that process been for you yeah it's been like pretty seamless I was very pro wedding planner because I just can't I just can't handle all of that I was already so I got the amazing wedding planner she's handled it so well I mean every detail they're just like seamless and helped me so much so it's really been easy the only like wedding drama is

um I had to get a dress like last week because I had gotten one and designed it like the month after I got engaged because I was so excited you know I was like let's go like let's get into this and I was supposed to pick it up like last week so like nine months later and I just like I hated it. This wasn't me. And I was just like I can't, you know, I can't see myself in this. I can't wear this. So then I had to just like put all like my energy into finding a new dress.

And it's what? I'm nine weeks out. So it was not. Yeah. Oh, but you found one? What's the date? June 25th. Oh my.

Oh my gosh. Damn, girl. You are a calm bride. You are, I'm going to take out of you. You are a calm bride. Wow. I know and you know what I'm just like that's what everyone's really said me like Sydney you are so you know because I am I'm just like like that naturally but the only moment I got like crazy

nervous and was like it was the dress obviously but then I found one like the day first day I went and I was like okay this is great it's done no I'm going to worry oh my gosh and do where's it going to be it's going to be in San Diego um we went in like Napa or San Diego because Napa is just like our happy place but yeah it's just very difficult to just get there like so napa's easier i mean i'm sorry san diego's easier because like all of his family's there anyway okay wait so are you guys going to be um are you going to be going on like a honeymoon afterwards yeah we just booked our honeymoon because i didn't know that like people actually went on their honeymoon like the day after the wedding i hope that was just in movies and i was like you don't really do that like i thought it was like

months after and it's like no like you really just like escape and go off into your thing so I asked him like what do you want to do you want to he was like yeah like let's just do it like the day let's fly out the day after we get married so it's like okay so we decided we wanted to go to Europe but um with fred's work schedule of course like you have to go to europe for at least two weeks in my opinion just to get what you got went there for right so with his work schedule we can't do that we can't take that many days because football season's about to start but we decided to just go um to borra bora which is like really exciting i love to just go It's going to be incredible.

This silly old place. I didn't even know like that. But we decided to go to like more of like a, you know, like island vibe instead of like Yeah. So we just like to shove me back in your suitcase. Yeah. Do you need a handler? I will take care of your errands.

I will carry your luggage. I'm a little nervous about going because like getting there is like you have to get on like two planes, like a water boat. Like it's like a little sketchy, but I'm just like, hopefully it'll be okay. You'll be fine. It's going to be beautiful. Yeah. We'll have to check in. with you. I want those. I'm excited to see those pictures. No, I've never been to like, you know,

like those like iconic pictures of like the house on top of the blue water. Like that's like your dream. So we're going to do that. Yeah. One, you know, I've never planned a wedding. But I can imagine after that you're just going to be so drained and exhausted that that sounds like the perfect location to just relax, chill, kick your feet up, just swim. So yeah, I also I'm very excited to see the photos. So take lots document at all um and are you going for two weeks for it no we're just going to go for like five days because that's like it's like crunch time with football it's just you your whole life is basically around that one to get like the summer months so we're just trying to like you know suck on all the time we can i want to know so dating a professional athlete i i mean it

definitely i'm sure has its perks but i can imagine it is very difficult to because it's not a regular nine to five like he has to be so structured is that difficult especially during football season dating somebody who is so zoned in on his career yeah so the one thing that i like love most about fred is is how motivated and dedicated he is to his craft and he's just like that is just like his number one and i respect that so much about him so that's one thing that i get like the time you have to put the time in to be at his level so 100% like completely support him and I'm very type A too. So like I love a schedule.

I love like time. So like once we get our thing down, like we're good. Of course I miss him just because like training camp's the worst. I'd say the season is not that bad. It's just training camp because he'll leave at 7 a.m. And not get home to like 9.30 p.m. training. So right now this is OTAs, which isn't hard. It's just like two, you know, four or five hour days.

It's not bad at all. But it's, you know, it's definitely push and pull. It's definitely you having to respect. you know each other's time and when you have it really really take it in but you know i wouldn't change it for the world he is he loves his job so much and he's so successful so that just like fires me into supporting him as much as i can and um it we balance each other really good we uh we do good yeah it seems like are you able to go to a lot of the games yeah so i go to all the home games and then like half inch of the ways like i don't go to the cross-country away is just unless it's

like Chicago because I love Chicago, but like, I go to the Detroit Lions. I don't go. And I just also depends on our schedule. I just, you know, I try to go as many as I can. Um, but not every game. No. What is it like, are you pretty close with the other players, wives and girlfriends? Or is it like a thing kind of like the first night of the bachelor when you walk in and everyone's so stunning and beautiful and you don't know what to expect if they're going to be nice or standoffish? It's exactly like that. I can imagine. I'd be so nervous. Hard. It's hard. But no, I have a lot of my, I have my core group of my girls that I really

like love and I'm so thankful or still with the team because it's kind of sad when you get close to someone and then goodbye. They're gone. Never again. And it's like, no, like that's my best friend. So yeah, I have my core girls that I love so much and that's all you really need. And then yeah, I mean, yeah. I'm sure it's just it's once you find that too. And like, when other people are welcoming with like open arms it's just like they act they understand the lifestyle that you're living right right like their husband or a respect thing too it's like when you're the newbies and you're it's also if you have to like earn something and it's very strange it's it's it's different um it's like earn your rank earn your spot oh my god I would hate that okay

so is it like it in the sense of it's like earn your spot like I've been here for or like my so and so have been on the team for this many years or is it like we're a fiance and you're just girlfriend it's that it's that michel it's the girl for you have to understand like so many players are through here and then they have you know if they're not in a committed you know a lot of girls get there so you have to just like okay she's coming she's staying okay no okay we can like bring her in and she's like we're our friend now you know what i mean so um which is understandable but uh yeah it's definitely more that route One of my good friends years ago, when I was still living in Minnesota, dated a Vikings

for a couple of years. And I remember, and she would hook us up with tickets. So we would go to some of the games. And there was one night where, I don't know if it was like a birthday party for one of the players. They had rented out this like big bar club area and had a birthday party or a party. And my friend Brianna at the time who was dating the sky was like, do you want to come to the party? I was like, oh, yeah, sure. I have nothing going on tonight. So she brought me with. And the girls were so standoffish. I was like, I'm not here to date anyone. I'm not here to like steal your man. But they were like, they were like, who is this girl? And Brianna was like, this is one of my best friends. And it wasn't until she's like, oh, she's with me that they were like, oh, hi. I was

like, I do not belong here. This is like the weirdest situation I've ever been in. No, girl groups are hard no matter what. I've just always been that way. I've always been very like ducked off in my own zone. Like I'm not good with that. So obviously when you're coming into like this, It's like, whoa, like, you have something really take it in. And I'm just like a retractor. Like, I'm just going to, like, go away. And then that can be looked at as like standoff. You just, you can't win.

You don't know what to do. Do you be in their face? But then they'll be like, is it too much or do you retract? You know, I don't know. So what was more intimidating? Night one going into The Bachelor or the first time you met all of the wives and the girlfriend? It's 50-50.

It's the same. I was sweating. I was just walking in, imagine, like walking into a group of girls. by yourself you've never met one of them and just like to me that's like I'm sweating thinking of that yeah yeah you know what I mean so like it's just nerve-wracking but like I said like all of that goes you know goes away being the new girl isn't ever easy in any circumstance so you just know you find your place you you know set your your feet in the ground and you just move you know how you did Fred give like his teammates a heads up of like I really like this one

go easy on her yeah people will know Fred he only takes everything he does so super seriously so i think everyone knew when he finally like had a girlfriend they're like okay like you know like she's solid like if you're gonna you know this is your girl so yeah oh what a what a lie it's so it's so fun to like get the ins and the outs of a world that i have no idea about really yeah but i want to know now so he didn't watch the show his family obviously did do you or do both of you now keep up with the show do you still watch um actually the last season we watched was michelle's season and hey yes and he like loved you like he he doesn't really watch the bachelorette or i don't think

he watched any of it but i was like let's watch let's watch her season like she's like let's watch her and he loved it's cool um but i know i mean he is just really funny like he's very very opinionated so like one time I did like a like one of the I can't remember what season it was like showing like our reactions but I can't put him on my Instagram because he's so honest and he's just like ridiculous I mean I would actually love to see the honesty oh my gosh I do too so Sydney you and Fred we'll get into a game shortly but I want to know because you and Fred just recently bought a house correct so how was the house hunting and the moving process listen house hunting and the bay area is not fun at all. But it took months and months and months and months. I think I walked through

probably 23 homes. It was just nuts. But, you know, it gave me a real respect for the real estate industry and just everything. My mind opened up to a lot of things I had no idea about. So that was really a perk. But it was definitely not easy. But when we found the one, you know, that we ended up buying, we just fell in love with it. We were like, let's go. Like, let's get. like to do this fast as possible and it's been a dream owning a home and like furnishing it and just really like making it feel like our happy place it's been an incredible blessing like we've never been happier so congratulations especially after all that hard work it makes it so much more worth it that's what we talked about you're like it's so nice to like of course like

when you know you're successful and you just have you have that respect for yourself in your sport and in your work like me but when you have something that like you can finally like touch and feel and see and you're like this work was so worth it and you know it's it's it's really nice yeah how long have you guys been moved in so we moved in in January okay so it's been a little bit yeah do you feel like it's you know when you move into like you're a new spot it's like you have it takes a little bit to make it home and furnish it and decorate it are you like pretty much done but there's just like with furniture like it takes like eight months to get anything in so there's like oh my you know yeah there's like

there's like there's like some have some things and then some have don't you know it just have to wait till it all comes together i think at a year will be like finally settled for sure um but it takes that long it's nuts it's really nice listen i i bought a house in i closed in July i didn't move in until October, but I searched for about a year, and it still is not done. Like, it is still, it's got a ways to go. And I'll probably move out of it soon anyway. So I'm like, oh, my God, that is not, yeah, I think of that. I'm like, what if we have to, like, what if we have to move here? I didn't even get to really finish it. But that's, we're not going to happen. You're going to stay there for a while. We're going to manifest that. Okay, Sydney,

let's get into our game because we love our games. And so basically, we're just, going to just catch up with you. It's like a rapid fire. So we'll ask you a question and whatever comes to mind right away is whatever you answer. So are you more of the early bird gets the worm or sleep in in the mornings? I'll sleep in. I'm a sleeping type of girl. Okay. Favorite thing to do with your fiance? Go to the movies. Oh, I like that. Do you do drive-ins? What's the last movie you I saw? The last thing we saw was the Harry Potter one, the secrets of Dumbledore. I'm like a Harry Potter freak. Is it good? I want to go. Hey. Oh my God. Go. I had no idea what's going on the whole time, but I was like, don't look at me, don't talk to me, like I'm in this. Have you been to Harry Potter

World? No, it's not like my biggest dream though. I can see you going, wanting to go there. You need to go. I would black out from excitement. Change the honeymoon. No more Bora Bora. You need to go to Harry Potter world and such. Next time you both come down to L.A. Let me know I have the place to stay. You can crash there. I'm 10 minutes from Universal where you can go. I would black out. I would be so it's so fun. It's so fun. I took Tom is there because he's a diehard Harry Potter fan and he got picked for like the wand experience and I legit sort of crying in all of banners. I was like this yeah so but do you have a video of that? I need to see a video of you. I will send it to you. I was sobbing. It was like the most beautiful magical thing ever. Oh my God. Okay.

question in the game how many times a day do you check your instagram checking my probably like six to seven that's probably okay but yeah six to seven i feel like small like check in maybe not say on there forever okay then check in again okay maybe five i'm taking it a five five's a good number yeah five's good number uh cold weather or warm weather um warm warm weather what's the best thing i don't even know if you like to cook but what's the best thing that you can cook salmon probably i've really perfected salmon i love fish and i would like eat fish over chicken or red meat any day so like i like salmon okay okay where is your favorite place in the world my favorite place in the world is italy for sure yeah what is one beauty product that you can't live

without eyebrow pencil. Amen. When are you the most productive? Most productive, like everyone at times, like in the morning for sure. Like I really just like crank it out in the morning so that I can chill at night for sure. Mm-hmm. I'm the same way.

I like I don't want to work and do anything at night. I want to relax. Like going at seven and you're still answering emails and doing stuff. I'm just like on our Instagram or do. doing this is just like oh my god this is too much yeah yeah what's your favorite cheat meal my favorite cheat meal my gosh this one's really hard probably mozzarella sticks or like a sonic cheeseburger i love oh people on this stuff like that is like sonic love it i don't think i've ever been to a sonic Oh, yeah, that you have to go to one.

On the son, that Sydney, the Sonic you've been to, they like, you drive in, right? Yeah, they like serve you on roller skates. Oh, that's fun. In our camera, it's like a big thing, like, Sonic is like where you go. So I just, I'm a Sonic girl. Okay. Check it out. Would you?

Yes, you do. Would you rather be surprised or do the surprising? I like to do the surprising. Okay. on a date night would you prefer to get all dolled up and go out or are you more of like a takeout hang out on the couch Netflix and chill kind of gal I like to go out I like to get dressed up and go be social I love for a date night because we do that chill on the couch a lot so I'd like to go out okay if you could have any superpower what would it be um time travel who is the last person from bachelor nation besides us that you've talked to Victoria paul okay

would you prefer to watch the game on TV or go in person go in person oh yeah of course you got a support in man like that is that even a question you know what is one style I love this question what is one style trend you wish would come back a style trend that I wish would come back a style trend that I wish come back um oh my gosh what is the style turn i wish would come back maybe do you guys remember like we would wear just like camis as shirts with jeans i kind of like that right now with like a gene yeah yeah i don't know if that was a good answer or not but that one like a little lace like that oh yeah yeah yeah i had them in every color that's a vibe wait do you remember

this style trend. It was big when I was in middle school. And maybe it's because I was a dancer, but we used to cut like the bottom of our tights and like make necklaces like chokers out of our tights. Did you all ever wear that? Was that a thing for you or was a midwest thing? I don't think that one was one for me. I can't remember doing that. A lot of people did that. Maybe it was a Minnesota thing. I remember a lot of people doing it. And I remember a lot of people layering those camys that you're talking about Sydney, like they would put two of them together and have like just like

this massive thick lace at the bottom like levels. The white. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. For like your gaucho pants. I don't know. Yes. The gauchel pants. Wait, do you remember oh my gosh, we're just going to go into all these crazy trends. When people used to double up the polos and pop the collar.

Yes. Yeah. Double polo it. Imagine how I'm comfortable. Yeah. Hollister and Abercrown. I remember like they were so tight to that. I couldn't raise my arms but I was like I look cool so tight yeah yeah oh my gosh trip down memory lane that is so funny um what is your signature drink your go-to drink go-to drink probably a glass of red wine for sure mm-hmm classic who is your style icon my style icon I'm gonna be basic here and probably say Kim Kardashian okay okay yeah I mean

She's a soft. She's solid. She never really gets the wrong, you know? No, she really doesn't. It's true. Do you have that one right? What is one thing on your bucket list? One thing on my bucket list? Oh, man, this one's hard. I, maybe owning a piece of property in my hometown.

Not that adventurous, but it's like a good goal I want to do. I like that. I really like that. I really like that a lot. Like, would you just, like, want land or you would want an actual home that you can, like, go and visit? I, so my dream in life is to have kids and then them go to school at University of Alabama, because that's where I went. And if they're athletic, that would be even better because all the time. But I would love to, like, own, like, maybe like an apartment or something, kind of something to monetize for sure. But just, yeah, not land, most probably just, like, a property.

I like that. It's like I keep saying about Minnesota, too. I don't know if that's any fun. that. No, I love that. Well, that was our game. Thank you, Sydney. Before we let you go, though, we always every week share our rose and our thorn. So basically like the highlight and the low light of the week. So Michelle, do you want to start it up this time? Sure, I will. My rose would probably be that this week I get to head to Canada again and visit Nate's family. So I'm excited to do that. Um, my thorn is that, um, I posted a fit check Friday, Friday fit check. On Thursday. And it's not Friday. So I had that, you know, that lovely realization that like, but I didn't realize it,

you know, several people had to tell me. So I had that realization that like, it is not, it's not the weekend. Yeah, but just wait until how great it's going to be tomorrow. Oh my gosh. So great. I do that all the time. I do that all the time. And people are like, oh, it's not that day.

But I'm like, I was so convinced. Yeah, I literally would have went the whole day if I, you know, no one would have told me. All right, Sydney, you will go next. Share your rose and your thorn. So my rose would definitely be my mom gets here on Saturday. And my brother is actually here. They're both fluent from Alabama.

So they've been spending the week here with us. And it's been so nice, like, host them and have them here. So that's my rose. And then my thorn would probably be, I had to go to the DMB yesterday to get a new license and, like, change it from Alabama to California and, like, take a test. I failed twice. It was just, so that's something my thorn. DMB is never a good time. Oh, my gosh.

How many, how long were you there? I mean, I made an appointment. I thought, okay, I'll make an appointment online, right? So I just, I just breeze through it, right? Doesn't matter. Never make an appointment. It's all a joke. Just.

so I showed up I was there for probably three and a half hours so oh my gosh yeah DMV is never it's like never a short trip I didn't know I had to take it I put it off so I I blindly took to the driving test I had three times to pass it I failed twice it was just a lot yeah wait did you have three times to pass it in the same day I had three times in the same day right and if you fail at three times and you have to wait a few weeks and come back and like I can't take the driving test. I mean, I would pass the driving test, but I'm like, that is such a burden. Like, I don't want to do that. Yeah. That's a lot. Well, I'm happy that you got that done. You are taking care of. I know. There we got. We're good to get it. And then now you can just

look forward to the weekend and everything with your family. That's awesome. Well, thank you, Sydney, so much for being here. It was so fun to just touch base with you. Catch up. I know that you have not been on a Bachelor podcast. So hopefully it was a good experience. Amazing first time. Thank you guys so much for having me. Yes, of course. It was so nice talking to you. Thank you, Bachelor Happy Hour listeners, and thank you to Sydney for being here.

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