It was October 8, 2022, a night illuminated by a big, full moon. A friend and I were planning to go out dancing in Brooklyn, but when we arrived, the venue was closed. Instead, we wandered into a nearby karaoke bar.

I sat down at the bar, and not long after, James took a seat next to me and introduced himself. As I introduced myself, I noticed James looking at me with big, fixated eyes—almost strangely. But from the start, his energy felt familiar, like I was reconnecting with an old friend.

James was visiting New York for a few days, with plans to head back to Toronto and then move to Buenos Aires. We hit it off instantly. An hour later as we were leaving the karaoke bar to go to another one, I found a wedding bouquet lying on the ground. Naturally, I picked it up and began posing with it as my friend filmed a video. Suddenly, James jumped into the frame and playfully said, “Can you say engaged?”—referring to us, of course.

As the night continued, we ended up holding hands in an Uber on the way to another bar. I woke up the next day thinking it was one of the most fun nights of my life. James contacted me right away, and we spent the next three days together, even though I had work and responsibilities to get back to. We ate at restaurants, watched movies, and took naps—it was effortless and perfect. James even canceled his flight home twice to stay longer.

When he finally left, I figured that was the end of it, and I’d get back to my regular life. But to my surprise, James kept in touch, texting me throughout the day and FaceTiming often. Even after he moved to Buenos Aires, we spoke almost every day for a month. Eventually, we decided I should come visit.

I booked the flight knowing that if I waited any longer, our connection might fizzle—after all, we were just two strangers who had a fun weekend in New York. As the flight date approached, I became anxious and even tried to cancel. But thanks to the lack of customer service at the airline, I found myself on that 11-hour flight to Buenos Aires. My friends joked I’d end up on the news, given how little I knew about James!

I initially planned to stay just a few days, but after two days, we both confessed we were falling madly in love. I ended up staying nearly two weeks, and when it was time to leave, I couldn’t bear it. Before I left, James booked a flight to New York to visit me.

Three months after we met, James moved into my tiny Brooklyn apartment. That chapter felt like a dream—everything we did, even the small errands, turned into hilarious adventures. I had never felt such happiness and peace. We just fit perfectly.

Before meeting James, I’d always dreamed of traveling and eventually leaving New York. Thankfully, James shared that same adventurous spirit. In our first year together, we traveled to D.C., London, Greece, Toronto, Prince Edward Island, and many other places.

I eventually convinced my job to let me work remotely, and we spent the summer in Toronto deciding our next move. That brought us to Mexico City, where we’ve lived for over a year now, with more adventures to come.

Being with James has enabled me to live as the truest version of myself. We laugh constantly, have crazy ideas, and share a love for spiritual healing and all things "woo-woo." Our adventure has just begun, and I can’t wait for all that’s still to come.

Our Story