Krystal Nielson earned a leg up on her competition when The Bachelor star Arie Luyendyk Jr. chose to take her home, so why did Arie decide to take such a big, important step in a relationship so soon?

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For their first one-on-one date during Week of The Bachelor process, Arie flew Krystal to his home in Scottsdale, AZ, and the bachelorette met his parents, younger brother and new sister-in-law.

"Now, I know, I know bringing someone home to Scottsdale for a first date is a pretty big deal. Trust me, bringing someone to meet my parents isn't normally something I'd do on a first date. Hi, I'm Arie, I drive for a living, oh and here is my dad!" Arie wrote in his People blog.

"But, being on The Bachelor is about pushing limits and building relationship more quickly than you would normally. This journey isn't just about the women getting out of their comfort zones, it was about me doing it as well."

The 36-year-old pro racing driver turned real estate agent added, "As important as it is for the women to open up to me, it's important that I do the same."

Out of the 29 bachelorettes Arie met on Night 1 of filming, he thought Krystal would be the perfect choice for his early hometown date.

"From our first interaction, I knew that Krystal was beautiful and had a calming, centering energy. I wanted to know so much more about her and also knew that she'd handle meeting my family with poise and grace," Arie explained.

"I loved our day together. Yeah, showing home movies is embarrassing, but it's one thing for Krystal to see Arie: the Bachelor, and a whole other for her to see a 6-year-old without front teeth dancing to Michael Jackson in pajamas. It made me feel good to see how interested Krystal was in that part of my life."

One thing viewers didn't see was the fact Arie brought his dog, Bastian, along for the trip.

"It was his first time on a plane -- I hope he doesn't get too used to flying private. As he fell asleep on Krystal's lap, she told me about her dogs, Chuckie and Wayne. Bastian is usually a pretty good judge of character, so that was a good sign," Arie wrote.

The date then continued at the architectural marvel that is The Bradbury Building, where they shot one of the most famous scenes from Bladerunner.

"I couldn't wait to learn more about Krystal. I knew that Krystal was impressive, but during dinner, I learned how she became the beautiful, strong woman who sat before me," Arie noted.

Krystal opened up to Arie about how she felt her parents never wanted her and she had to grow up fast and take care of her younger brother when she was still only a kid herself.

Krystal also revealed her brother has been homeless for a couple of years. Although Krystal attempted to help her brother get off the streets, he apparently didn't want her help.

"I was touched by her vulnerability and how, despite her difficult upbringing, she was able to build an enviable life with a positive outlook," Arie wrote in his blog, adding that his date with Krystal was "amazing" overall.

"I knew that there were many layers to this woman and that there was still so much more to discover. As we walked to the LA Theater and saw our names on the marquee (which was so cool), I couldn't help but wish that with all she had given me that day her name was at the top of the marquee instead of mine."

By the end of the second episode, Arie chose to eliminate Valerie Biles, Lauren Griffin and Jenny Delaney. Krystal, on the other hand, received a rose.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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