It was love at first sight lunch. It was the first time we met, but it was not a romantic date. It was a team business lunch, with twenty co-workers around us, at a Thai restaurant in Luxembourg.
Yet, Stefanos made sure we sat opposite each other. Then, all the other people faded away to let the spark become a fire. First, we spoke with our eyes, and then we talked about what we are both so passionate about: travelling.
It was not a coincidence that our next meeting was in Italy. Stefanos arranged his schedule around Dora’s. We met in Milan and spent the day at work, looking forward to our first evening out together. We picked a cozy restaurant in Piacenza, and after an intimate dinner served with local wine, we started strolling in the city. Everyone had stayed indoors just to allow our romance to flourish in the empty cobble little roads under sleepy yellow lights. We took the opportunity and walked for hours into the night, caressed by each other’s words and the October breeze, which was as cool as it was warming.
Since then, there hasn’t been a single day that we didn’t share with each other our thoughts, ideas, and dreams. We lived in different cities, but we did date: in London, in Luxembourg, in Zakynthos. The time in between was filled with anticipation. We both knew we were in this for the long game.
Stefanos made the decision to move from London to Luxembourg. The plan was to temporarily stay at Dora’s place until he could find his own flat. We were only together for a few months, so it seemed too early to move in together. Three weeks later, it already felt the right thing to do.
32 boxes filled with Stefanos’s life now filled Dora’s previously spacious lounge. When we started unpacking, the flat resembled an untidy warehouse. “I’m happy”, said Stefanos with the chaos unfolding behind him. “Me too”, Dora smiled.
As soon as we settled, we started travelling again: relaxing in Belgium, sightseeing in Budapest, swimming in Greece, road tripping in Portugal, hopping for a day in China, and wandering in Cambodia. We covered in kilometers a full circle around Earth, and yet it feels so little, because we spend our time picking the places we would love to visit together.
It would be crazy to not spend our life together. This is why on 2020 Valentine’s Day, Stefanos interrupted a home-cooked dinner with a marriage proposal. Stefanos says he picked that day because it would be easier to remember in the future. Dora knows it is untrue, and that he picked it because she would find it so romantic. She said yes. And she said yes again when Stefanos kneeled to propose one more time in Athens, with the Acropolis in the background.
Ever since, we have realized how much more we have to learn about each other, and how many obstacles we have to overcome, while growing older together. We have accepted every challenge to become more aware and mindful, and we have answered every call to strengthen our bond and companionship.
We are excited to continue our journey with many more next steps, including our wedding, where we officially become husband and wife. We would love to have you joining us and sharing that truly meaningful moment of our lives.