She was from California. He from New York. Knowing she spoke both German and English, he attempted to spark up a conversation, “Wie geht’s dir, meine Schwester?” “Mir geht’s gut, mein Bruder!” With David’s German vocabulary exhausted at this point, the exchange continued in his strongest language—humor. The more he cracked jokes, the louder she laughed, a fire that fueled itself. For full disclosure, nothing really happened between Alisha and David that day in 2018 when they officially “met” at the Italian restaurant in Ohio where their friends deliberately set them next to each other. An exchange of jokes, jests, and just-getting-to-know-you questions—no numbers, emails, or glances. She was visiting to volunteer for a teen summer camp. He was there in Ohio working for his church’s editorial department. It was a nice dinner between acquaintances. But David’s curiosity was sparked. He admired Alisha’s passion for life and learning as well as her enthusiastic laughter following his wit. Months passed before their paths crossed again (this time by pure happenstance) for a church convention in Flagstaff, Arizona. They worked in choir together and went on all the same outings. Each time, they found themselves as at the restaurant: in humor and mutual curiosity. However, Alisha—oblivious to David’s deeper interest—turned down his offer for a tennis match… …until it hit her that evening—he had just asked her on a date! With Alisha’s realization, she began to show a growing admiration for David. He took note of this, fueling his courage to formally request a date that she accepted without hesitation. Over French Onion soup and strawberry spinach salad, the pair looked forward to continued contact despite thousands of miles between their homes and routines. Hundreds of lengthy emails, hours-long phone and Skype calls, handwritten letters, and visits later, David proposed to Alisha on the Torrey Pines beach in February 2023. A surfer who witnessed the scene from the ocean promptly swam ashore to congratulate the new couple. Goes to show love transcends any distance, over land and sea.