Kaitlyn Bristowe Reflects on Anniversary of Meeting Boyfriend Jason Tartick: 'Beautiful Love Story'

"What felt like was a goofy friendship, turned into a beautiful love story," the former Bachelorette wrote about Jason Tartick

It was a date with destiny!

Popular Bachelor Nation couple Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick celebrated the one year anniversary of when they first met on Bristowe’s Off the Vine podcast on Wednesday.

While that fateful day became the start of their sweet love story, the reality star revealed she had almost canceled the meeting in a heartfelt tribute to her now-boyfriend.

“EMOTIONAL ALERT. On this day last year…. I walked into a studio in Seattle to podcast with Jason and Olivia. I almost canceled because I had been bawling my eyes out in an Uber, going through some crap, and I was crying on FaceTime to my dad when he came in,” the former Bachelorette began in a lengthy post on Instagram. “We had never met, but he hugged me, and told me he had just cried too at a charity event he came from.”

She continued, “He looked at me and said, ‘Let’s have a soft Tuesday together’. He almost canceled as well because he had an eye infection. He brought a nice bottle of wine, and I had asked Olivia to join me for the podcast because I thought I would need someone to help keep the energy up, since I was so sad. But If you spend two seconds with Jason you realize his energy is electric and you can’t help but be in a good mood.”

Her meeting with Tartick turned her day around, Bristowe revealed — and they developed a deep friendship that later blossomed into something more.

“My day had changed. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I thought of Jason as a friend, and wanted him to be the bachelor,” she wrote. “He actually helped me through a hard time. I just wanted him to be happy.”

“J, I met you 365 days ago and from what felt like was a goofy friendship, turned into a beautiful love story,” Bristowe added. “Thank you for always lifting me up, being my rock, and thank you for stepping foot into that studio with your Cyclopes eye. You’re my Lobster.”

The couple first confirmed their relationship in late January, which came nearly three months after Bristowe revealed her split from Shawn Booth — whom she met, fell in love with and got engaged to on season 19 finale of The Bachelorette in 2015. Tartick, a fellow franchise alum, made it to the final three on Becca Kufrin‘s season of The Bachelorette last year.

In February, the pair made their social media debut together, posting sweet messages to each other in honor of Valentine’s Day. By May, they revealed they were taking their relationship to the next step by moving in together in Nashville with their rescue pup.

Speaking to PEOPLE earlier this year, Bristowe explained that her relationship with Tartick came as a surprise.

“My relationship with Jason was definitely not something I expected,” she said. “When I met him, dating anyone wasn’t even on my radar, especially dating anyone in Bachelor world, but something in my mind was rooting for him. And I thought, ‘Whoever dates him is a lucky girl.’”