Joan Vassos, 61, the first Golden Bachelorette, accepted Chock Chapple’s proposal, and on November 18, they will begin shopping for a new home in New York (keeping their homes in Washington DC and Kansas). They told AARP how their love blossomed off-camera and what they wanted to say to AARP members who yearn for romance.

In the three months since we saw you on television in The Golden Bachelorette Finally, what has changed in your relationship?

Jane: Well, we talk every day. But more importantly, we need to do these “Happy Couple” visits – Bachelor The producers find a house in Los Angeles so you can spend five days together. At the end of the season, we got engaged and finally spent time together to see if it was really the right thing. And I’ll let you know right away that this was the case! We fell more and more in love and had some really great times, like individual times, where we had no influence from the outside world, and it was just the two of us, as a couple, really getting to know each other.

Hold: Joan’s intellect — and her competitiveness. She is very competitive. People on the show thought I was competitive. I’m here (raises hand), she’s here (raises hand).

Jesse Palmer looks at the ring on Joan Vassos’ hand with Chuck Chapple sitting next to her.

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Jane: We played tennis and I don’t like losing.

Hold: She. Do. Not.

Jane: Put that ball back over the net, and I hope he doesn’t! We did crosswords together, we did stupid things like puzzles. You’re just having fun, which was really fun. What I discovered was what a caregiver he is. For example, I’m at home and I’m expressing something that concerns me in my life. Next thing I know I get a text message, or he calls me back saying, “I called this guy and he can do it.” He tries to solve my problems for me, which is so nice. I’ve been living life alone for a while, and you know, it’s a little lonely, and it’s nice to have someone that you know is going to help you.