Rory and I met on Hinge in December 2024, at a time when neither of us were really expecting something real out of a silly dating app. He was in Scotland. I was in the United States. An ocean sat casually between us. At first, it was just conversation. Easy, curious, surprisingly comfortable. Messages that didn’t feel forced. Questions that went deeper than usual. Somewhere between jokes, voice notes, and late replies explained by time zones, something shifted. We stopped feeling like someone far away and started feeling like someone close. Days turned into routines. Mornings began with messages sent overnight. Nights ended with calls that stretched longer than planned. Scotland became more than a place on a map, it became our laughs together, the way we listened to the other. Distance didn’t erase intimacy; it sharpened it. There were moments and still are moments when the reality of it all feels heavy. Craving physical touch from someone you can only see in-person every 4 months is a different kind of ache. Wanting to share ordinary moments; meals, walks, quiet days, through a screen takes patience. But neither of us ran from that. We continue to stay curious. We continue to stay honest. We continue to choose each other every day. The miles demand trust. They demand communication. And that makes what we are building feel even more intentional. Since December 2024, our story hasn’t been about convenience. It’s been about timing, courage, and the decision to keep showing up, despite the distance, despite the unknowns. Two people. Two countries.
And a connection strong enough to cross the Atlantic.