It was an unlikely sequence of events that caused their paths to cross but as they say, everything happens for a reason! In March 2019, after spending six months abroad, Isa returned home to Floripa. As luck would have it, at the same time, Ryan was visiting Floripa for a few days with friends, on the tail-end of their overseas travels. They met each other at Arts, a popular social venue in downtown Florianópolis. Isa was out with her sister and a few friends, celebrating her return and her birthday. When they met, their connection was immediate. They ended up spending time together the entire weekend before Ryan's return to the United States. At the end of those few days, they both knew they wanted to see each other again. A few months later, Ryan and Isa reunited in São Paulo. From then on, their desire to see one another only grew. Over the next two years, they continued to take trips to see each other. Undeterred by the distance, the countless heart-wrenching "goodbyes", and even a global pandemic, their connection to one another remained strong. Two years later, they are now engaged. They are excited to build a life together in Washington, DC, but still envision regular travel and vacations back to Floripa, where it all began. "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" - Corinthians 13 4-7