Feature Friday with Tyler Antrican
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Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? This week’s Feature Friday is a real estate broker who lives with his husband and their foster children in Charlotte, NC. Tyler talks about why they chose foster-to-adopt, what made him decide to come out, and how he met his husband, Drake, all those years ago. We enjoyed getting to know Tyler, and hearing his story brightened up this dreary Friday morning for us. Take a look below to see what we mean…
Where are you from? Tyler is from Morristown, TN. Drake is from Lexington, OH
Where do you live? We currently live in Charlotte, NC
Instagram handle? @tylerantrican, @daszips
Age: Tyler 30, Drake 34.
On the magic of secluded islands: We visited this tiny little island off the coast of Belize called Caye Caulker. There are no cars, no high rises, no chain restaurants...just a gorgeous island with palm trees, ocean breezes, and lots of relaxation to be had. We visited there on a whim and instantly fell in love. There’s nothing to do be relax and unplug.
On making it work in a small town: We met when I (Tyler) was working at a gym in Tennessee. I totally stalked Drake out. Like, got his name and info, then Facebooked him. We went on a couple of dates. I knew almost instantly that Drake was the one. Drake worked weird hours, as did I, and in a small town, there aren’t a ton of options for late night dates. We spent several nights at the Waffle House, lol.
On being foster parents: It was a whirlwind. I had been trying to talk Drake into fostering for months because I have 2 adopted sisters and my parents fostered. There are a lot of children who need good homes. The course lasted 10 weeks. We learned a ton, however we learn something new every single day with our two girls (ages 5 months and 2 years). Right now, I’m most excited for christmas and seeing things through their eyes! Everyday is like a new day for one of our girls.
On choosing foster care over adoption or surrogacy: We haven’t ruled adoption or surrogacy out. Our plan is to adopt through the foster care system. We kind of landed on fostering after realizing how many children in our area needed a loving home.
On coming out: I came out when I was 21. It was ok. Pretty uneventful. My dad is very “macho and burly”...so I was worried about his reaction. However, both of my parents love me for who I am, whatever that may be. Drake’s story is a bit different. He was in his early 20s. He’s a preacher’s kid, so his coming out story is not as happy as mine. His parents found out by accident (long story). They didn’t accept it. He wasn’t allowed to call or go home for a good while. It’s one of those things that isn’t spoken about, but they know. It’s been interesting to see his parents growth in that regard with the help of the girls. They see him for the amazing parent and person he is and know he’s not going through life and this adventure alone.
On learning to be yourself: I can only speak for myself, but I will say I learned that it’s ok to be yourself. People will respect you more for being authentic. And, it’s much more fun to be yourself instead of hiding or pretending to be something you aren’t.
On what he loves most about Drake: I love, love, love Drake’s ability to make me laugh. Even in the toughest moments. He always has a plan too. And...he pays attention to detail, which I don’t necessarily do all the time.
On experiencing homophobia while living in the south: We’ve talked about this a lot and we are still surprised that we have not. I think it really goes to show how far we’ve come as a county in regards to acceptance and love.
On his biggest inspiration: This super cheesy, but...I always think back to the Matthew mcconaughey speech. The one where he says his hero is the person he will be in the future. I think that’s a great answer. Be your own biggest inspiration.
