We’d like to share a little story with you—about a girl, let’s call her Leandre, and a boy named Ivan… Like most great Afrikaans love stories, theirs began in grade 11 at a Voortrekker camp. The objective of the camp? Survive for 5 days with limited food and water while hiking to the top of a mountain. As you can imagine, they both looked and smelled absolutely fantastic! Regardless, they ended up spending multiple nights around the fire, bonding over awful coffee and whatever weird piece of food they were given. But when the camp came to an end, they lost contact. A year later, their paths crossed again at, you guessed it, another Voortrekker camp. After some embarrassing flirting, they decided to go on a proper date. But they were 18 going on 19, trying to figure out life (and themselves), so it should come as no surprise that a little over a year later, they ended up in Splitsville. While they wanted to give each other space, their friends had other ideas. They were always invited to the same parties, and so, always stayed in touch. A few years went by: Leandre traveled, they both finished their degrees, and entered the grown-up world, all while remaining close friends. Then, Ivan decided it was a great idea to move to Germany… indefinitely. They were separated by 8,000 kilometers, yet still had regular phone calls, catching up on all the important and not-so-important things happening in each other’s lives. It turns out, it wasn’t proximity that kept them close… It's almost like they just wanted to talk to each other. But would two stubborn people ever admit that? Never! In October 2023, Ivan flew back to South Africa for a few weeks to visit family and friends—and to deliver some good news: he was moving back to South Africa at the end of the year! Then came the Rugby World Cup final. They decided to join a watch party with their friends, giving them the perfect opportunity to discuss a question that had been in the back of their minds for a while: Where do we go from here? They were nervous, but by the end of the night, it was clear they were no longer just friends. The next three months of long distance were tough, but they were all in. One year and a lot of laughter, home cooked meals and unforgettable adventures later, they were engaged. Now it's time to start the next chapter of their story!