Our eyes met in the arrivals area, and I felt a jolt of electricity. After flying over 9,000 miles from Brisbane to Toronto, I was finally meeting Jamie, the man I’d been talking to online for two months. He was exactly as I imagined – tall, dark, handsome, with a mischievous smile softening his serious expression. From the moment we hugged, I felt a sense of comfort and familiarity, as if we’d known each other forever.
Our story began in November 2018. My online business was thriving, and I decided to embrace a nomadic lifestyle, traveling the world and enjoying the freedom of being single. My first destination was Australia. Just weeks before leaving Bulgaria, I was tagged in a Facebook post by a customer discussing MBTI personality types. Jamie, a fellow traveler based in Canada, commented on the post, asking about compatible personality types. I happened to be one of them.
That same day, he added me on Facebook. I found him attractive, but didn’t think much of it. I was happy being single, and he was about to embark on a trip to London and Bali. But then, Jamie messaged me. Our conversation flowed effortlessly for four hours, covering everything from our childhoods to our shared passion for travel and business. We started chatting regularly, progressing to video calls. Initially, it was platonic, but the connection deepened, blossoming into romance. I found him intelligent, considerate, and emotionally mature, not to mention a fellow entrepreneur who understood my world.
Before meeting Jamie, I’d been single for eight months, frustrated by the superficiality of online dating and tired of conventional dating advice that felt like a game. With Jamie, it was different from the very beginning. We talked constantly on Messenger, without playing hard to get or holding back compliments. He stayed in touch even when busy, and our days were filled with laughter and playful banter. We were falling for each other. At times, it felt too good to be true, but the connection was undeniable.
On Christmas Eve 2018, Jamie booked a flight to Australia to meet me in person on January 23. Just five days before his departure, his aunt passed away, forcing him to cancel his trip. He was heartbroken, and I remember him saying, ‘I wish you could be here.’ In a moment of impulsivity, I joked about flying to Canada, and he responded, ‘You would fly to Canada for me? I can’t believe you would do that for me. I would love that so much.’
I booked a 22-hour one-way flight to Canada, arriving right after the funeral. I only told one friend about my plans, fearing embarrassment if things went wrong. On the flight, I was nervous, worried about the unknown. My anxieties manifested when I was grilled by border control for an hour upon arrival. ‘What do you mean you’re coming to see a man you’ve never met?’ an officer questioned. My palms were sweating, and in a moment of truth, I blurted out, ‘He’s my boyfriend, we met online.’ It was the first time I’d ever called him that. The officer winked and let me through.
The meeting was magical, even better than we imagined. When we hugged, it felt like forever, and I finally felt at ease, knowing it was real. He was exactly as I’d pictured – warm, funny, and a true gentleman. That night, he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I met his family a few days later. We spent time in Toronto, then I traveled to the US for work, and Jamie joined me. My role as CEO of Viral Marketing Stars allows me to work from anywhere, and luckily, Jamie’s work is flexible too. We embarked on a whirlwind adventure, attending conferences in Las Vegas, Arizona, and Colombia, merging our lives seamlessly.
Our relationship was effortless. We fit together perfectly and knew from the beginning that we wanted to be together forever. Five years later, we haven’t been apart for longer than 24 hours. On January 21, 2022, Jamie, who secretly met with a jeweler to design a custom ring, proposed to me at home. Lockdowns had disrupted his original grand plan.
Our story is proof that love isn’t always logical. Sometimes you have to take risks, break the rules, and ignore the noise to get what you want. Be authentic and go for it. Jamie and I are a testament to the boundless nature of true love.
