Joe Amabileis ready to build a future with now-finacéeSerena Pitt— and nothing is going to get in their way.
Amabile, 34, and Pitt, 23, got engaged during Tuesday’sBachelor in Paradisefinale. Moments before their whirlwind romance took a major step forward, Amabile’s exKendall Long— whom he met on the summer spinoff’s fifth season in 2018 — returned to the beach to speak with him following her initial exit this season. After an emotional conversation, she ultimately gave the couple her blessing.
While the surprise return clearly caught Amabile off guard, he eventually got down on one knee and romantically proposed to Pitt.
The Chicago native tells PEOPLE he “never” had doubt about continuing through with his proposal plans after speaking with Long.
“No, it never made me question the proposal at all. I was really only focused on Serena and the ring in my back pocket,” Amabile, whosplit from Long, 30, in 2020, says. “So when Kendall came down, it was unfortunate timing. It was a quick conversation, and I wish her the best. But I was just ready to see Serena and do the damn thing.”
As for Pitt, she says she “was really just shocked in the moment” after Amabile informed her of Long’s brief appearance.
“I just wanted to make sure he was okay,” says Pitt. “He seemed completely steady about the whole thing, so I was like, ‘Okay, you know what? It happened, let’s move forward and keep this day about us as much as possible.'”
Craig Sjodin/ABC; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
Now that their engagement is no longer a secret, Amabile and Pitt are ready to enjoy being a “normal” couple and enjoy everyday life experiences together.
“We can’t wait to just be normal and go get a nice dinner,” says Amabile, to which Pitt adds, “We’re going to go out and walk around. We’re in Toronto right now, so [we will] go see the city there a little bit and we have dinner reservations tomorrow night at a nice restaurant, so it’ll be like our first date night.”
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The Bachelor Nation pair are also in the process of figuring out where they will ultimately plant roots. For now, they are splitting their time between Amabile’s Chicago hometown and Pitt’s native Toronto, Canada.
Craig Sjodin/ABC
Pitt adds that “location is definitely a big thing when you live in two different countries, so there were multiple conversations about that and we definitely feel confident we’re on the same page.”
Though it will be “a year or two” before they dive into wedding planning, the duo is grateful for how theirBachelor in Paradisejourney turned out.
“I think we’re both such logical people that this show really works for us because it pushes you to really tap into your feelings and talk about your feelings,” Pitt says. “Because the proposal was such a shock to me, my response was just so genuine and not based on logic, just really following my heart and how I felt about Joe.”
source: people.com
