I met my partner while on a solo trip in Europe; We’re Long-Distance – ryan

In 2024, I Went on a Two-Week solo trip to EuropeVisiting Greece, Turkey, London, and Barcelona. I was used to traveling solo and had live in London from 2013 to 2017, SO it was comfortable territory.

A Few months before leaving, of put a pause on dating. I was ejausted from the date i had been on and wanted to give myself some time to regroup. But once i arived in Greece, my first destination, i downloaded tinder.

I KEPT My Expectations Low Wen It Came to Dating Abroad

It was the hopless romantic in with that made the decision. I Love Reading Romance Novels and Hearing Stories of People Meeting Their Partnership Traveling abroadand I Secretly Dreamed that I’d Meet a Outside America, But Still, I Kept My Expectations Low.

I was Open to the idea of ​​a relationship, but shatly, i just hoped to squeeze in a few cutes and meet some interesting people along the way. Yet, My Now-Boyfriend was one of the first People I swiped right on.

There was an instant connection Between US

My partner Lives in London. We matched while I was in Greece and Spent a Week Talking on WhatsApp before the London Portion of My Summer Vacation. We bonded over Our love of live music; He had just see Sza in Concert and Sent with videos of her singing my favorite songs.

By the time i arive in London, he had Our first date planned out.

We start at kioku sac for bar, inside the raffles london at the owo, and thatn Went to the 8 at the Londoner in Leicester Square. We shared lobster tempura with a view of Big Ben that felt unreal. Our conversation flowed, and from the moment we met, it felt oddly natural.

I message Him the Next Day to Ask if he want to get afternion tea before i left for spain.

I wasn’t sura if we”d conting dating when i went back to the us

Three days late, i Went Back to the US. Although we were talking every day at that point, I expect a few polyte texts, THEN A SLOW FIZZLE. I didn’t want to get my hopes up – we were thusands of miles apart, and i would have underestood if he didn’t want to keep up the efffort.

Instead, he booked a flying to see me while I was home visiting family in chicago a month late. And two months after that, i was back in London.

IT FELT BOLD, Spontaneous, and at the Same Time, Weirdly Comfortable.

We’re Long-Distance Now, and Communication is Key

In a long-discourse Relationship, Everything Accelered Feels. We have had to learn how to communicate our expectations early on SO we were wouldn’t waste each other’s time. In those first few months, we started using an app called just us, which kanss Relationship Questions from How you like to SPEND YOUR ALONE TIME to what holids with your family look like.

We’d talk about the quests over the phone; it Became a fun of ritual that helped us get to know Each Other Better and Opened the Door for Dereper Conversations.

Travel Brought US Together in the Beginning, and It Still DOES

Not only have us visited Each Other Where We Both Are From – London for Him, Chicago for – But We’ve Also Made Memories in the Spaces in BetWeen. Together, we’ve traveled to japanAustria, and New York. We Celebrated My Birthday with Samba Music In Brazil and Wandered the Shopping Alleys of Paris for HIS.

We’ve Cried (Mostly Me) Over Lost Luggage, overpacked for Weekend Trips, Sprinted for Trains, and Laugh Through of Bit of It. Its Now Been a Year Since we met, and Our Relationship has been marked by passport stamps.

We’ve put a lot of intention into Making Our Relationship Work

A Few Months in, WE CREATED A Shared Google Calendar To KEEP Track of EveryThing From Work Meetings to Nights Out with Friends. We can see the other person is busy, and it’s been a helpful tool for planning, especilly we figure outfuts trips and making the samp of our time off. We are Also Make Sure to Have a Shared Activity while we are apart, like Watching the Same Tv Show on Weekends WEHEND MORE TO BE ON THE PHONE.

We aim to see Each other and two to three months – Sometimes just for aekend, and other times, for a week or two. SINCE WE BOTH Travel Often for Work and Leisure, we’ve been able to use ours to Help Cover Flights.

Although we are 4,911 Miles apart, the distance comfort with. It reminds with that we’re both making an effort, and my individuality ha always been important to me. Long-Distance Relationships Work Best wen Both People Feel Grounded in Their Own Lives. Maintaining caareers, friends, and hobbies outside the Relationship isn’t just healthy; iT’S NECESSARY.

While we do plan to close the gap one day, for now, the distance is part of our story. And to think, it all started Because of downloaded an app.