Chris Soules' amazing opportunity to star on The Bachelor apparently didn't sink in until the moment he was about to meet his first bachelorette.
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"None of it felt real until that first limo pulled in. That's the moment I finally knew I was really the Bachelor. Sure, I guess knew I was the Bachelor, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking everyone at ABC (and in America!) was going to change their minds and tell this farmer from Iowa to head home and let the real Bachelor take over. But when I saw the headlights of that first limo, I knew they were stuck with me, for better or for worse," Soules wrote in his People blog.
"When that first limo pulled up, I took some deep breaths and tried to settle my nerves. The hug from [Britt Nilsson] definitely helped. And yes, it really did seem to last forever. But I can't put the hug only on Britt. The truth is that I really am a hugger. Always have been. Turns out so is Britt. Put two huggers together and what do you get? Yep, the longest televised hug in history. It really was a nice moment we shared, and I think it helped put both of us at ease."
Soules said [Tara Eddings'] two entrances -- one in denim shorts and the other in a cocktail dress -- was "memorable" regardless of what she was wearing, while Kaitlyn Bristowe got him "tongue-tied" with her shocking "plow the fields" comment.
"While some of the women were more memorable than others, all of them were drop-dead gorgeous. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be getting to meet them all. On the other hand, I couldn't believe how unlucky I was knowing I was going to have to send some of them home at the end of the night," Soules explained.
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"After meeting 15 women, I was already feeling a little dazed. I'm not used to dating more than one woman, let alone 15. When [Chris Harrison] suggested I head inside, I didn't hesitate. I didn't know if more women were coming or not; I just wanted to get inside and start getting to know the women who were already there."
Some other highlights for Soules apparently included talking to the sweet Whitney Bischoff and finding his secret admirer Amanda Goerlitz.
"But just when I thought I was getting a handle on juggling all these women, Chris let me know there were more about to arrive. And they kept coming and coming!" Soules told People.
The Bachelor star said when it finally came time to hand out his first-impression rose, his "head was spinning."
"So many choices! Whitney had impressed me with her beauty and poise, Kaitlyn had killed it with her humor and her dance moves, and countless others like [Carly Waddell], [Kelsey Poe], [Tandra Steiner] and [Ashley Iaconetti], had me thinking maybe they should get that first rose. Ultimately, I gave the first impression rose to Britt, who not only gave me the best hug of my entire life but also really made me feel comfortable on what was a pretty stressful evening," Soules wrote.
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Soules explained that a tough challenge for him was trying to remember the names of his 30 bachelorettes.
"It was almost too much for me. I guess I thought Chris would be there next to me with a little cheat sheet or something. But no, I was on my own. More than anything, I just didn't want to make a mistake and send my future wife home on the first night. As I handed out the roses, I started noticing Tara," Soules said.
"I could tell she was a little shaky on her feet and that she had probably had a few too many drinks. I must admit it was a little disappointing to see her so out of it, but I'm no choir boy, and I'm the first person to admit that we all make mistakes. Tara also seemed fun and cool, someone I wanted to get to know better. Ultimately, I gave her a rose, and I don't regret it."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski