How It Started (scusate amici ma avevo solo 4000 caratteri a disposizione, copiate e incollate su Google Translate 😁) Gianluca and Mickelle met on a night neither of them actually wanted to go out. Gianluca had just finished a basketball game and was planning to head straight home. Mickelle wasn’t feeling social either, but a very pushy friend (and some guilt) got her out the door. Fate, of course, had other plans. And apparently, a sense of humor. Gianluca showed up to the party carrying five pizzas not because he was hungry, but because he ran into the delivery guy in the elevator and offered to help. They were going to the same party, after all. Mickelle opened the door, saw a cute guy holding a stack of pizzas, and thought: “Nice. Delivery guy’s cute.” Spoiler: he wasn’t the delivery guy. He was the host’s trainer. Naturally, Mickelle responded like anyone would: she walked over and sat on his lap. Subtle? No. Effective? Apparently. From the start, it was clear they were opposites. Mickelle was impulsive, loud, and allergic to chill. Gianluca was calm, organized, and not entirely sure what had just happened. But somehow, it clicked. They went dancing that same night, swapped numbers, and then, since Mickelle was leaving town in a few days, decided to spend basically every waking moment together. A five-day speed-run of a relationship beginning. No time for small talk; just vibes and life planning. Then Mickelle left. The only way to see her again? Invite her home for Christmas. To Palestrina. To meet everyone. Mickelle expected a normal dinner. What she walked into was a seven-course home-cooked meal, a whole lot of translations, and what felt like a walking tour of Gianluca’s entire hometown, all in one weekend. She was amazed, slightly overwhelmed, and pretty sure she’d never be able to eat normally again. After that, they had just one more day together before she left, again. Three months later, she came back to Valencia… and moved in with Gianluca by showing up with a backpack and no plan. The rhythm that followed was chaotic, beautiful, and uniquely theirs: comings and goings, hikes and flights, quick goodbyes, sweeter reunions, and somehow, it always made sense. Since that first night, they’ve danced under Spanish streetlights, hiked through freezing rain in Norway, crossed rivers in the Pirineos, backpacked through Mexico, and cooked countless homemade pizzas together. They’ve fought over directions, adopted a cat off Facebook, laughed through lost luggage, and built a life that makes room for all of it. Their story hasn’t been traditional, but it’s been full of timing that shouldn’t have worked and always did. And a whole lot of carbs. And now, after all that movement, they’re choosing the simplest thing of all: To keep choosing each other