Like many couples in 2017 we found each other through Tinder...the most personal and love-friendly site on the web. Simba was vacationing in Colombia and I was flying in from a work trip and we think we may have matched at LAX. Our conversation started off as the typical “hey how are ya” and Simba insisting we meet as soon as he got back from his trip. Little did we know this would develop into a fun loving relationship in which we would travel the world, get engaged two years later, and begin building a life together. Simba may say the story was different. I let him play it off, but we all know the real truth of who pursued whom..... Al igual que muchas parejas en el 2017, nos encontramos a través de Tinder ... el sitio más personal y amigable en la web. Simba estaba de vacaciones en Colombia y yo regrese de un viaje de trabajo. Creemos que pudimos haber coincidido en LAX. Nuestra conversación comenzó con el típico "oye, cómo estás?” y Simba insistiendo en que nos vieramos en cuanto regresara de su viaje. No sabíamos que esto se convertiría en una relación amorosa y divertida, viajaríamos el mundo juntos, nos comprometeríamos dos años después y comenzaríamos a construir una vida juntos. Simba cuenta la historia diferente. Yo lo dejo contar su version, pero todos sabemos la verdad de quién persiguió a quién .....

In 2019 we set off to visit Paris, Barcelona, and the Greek Islands. The trip started with Simba desperately trying not to tip me off to the fact he was traveling with an engagement ring he bought days earlier. The anxiety of going through LAX’s TSA without the ring being discovered caused Simba to forget his work laptop at security. Minutes before take off we realized his laptop was no longer traveling with us, but it was too late to turn back. The trip was off to a nerve-racking start and soon we realized leaving the laptop behind was a blessing in disguise. It allowed Simba to completely focus on the task at hand—planning an amazing proposal. Our first stop was Paris and thanks to the hospitality of the Collatz family we had a warm and cozy place to rest during our trip. There was much to see and Simba hinted at the idea of sharing a meal in front of the Eiffel Tower at sunset—the perfect backdrop for his romantic proposal. I wasn’t thrilled about the idea since it would be the second baguette of the day, there were so many other great dining options, and we were leaving Paris the next day. I warmed up to the idea after getting some wine, cheese, another baguette, and seeing the sunset. Once we arrived to the Champ de Mars I sensed Simba was planning something and suspected he may be carrying a ring in the backpack he held closely the entire day. Turns out I was right!! Simba tricked me into posing for an Instagram-worthy sunset picture in front of the Eiffel Tower and then asked some random millennial instagrammers to take one more picture. Lucky for us, the grammers recorded us as Simba got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and proposed. The crowd erupted into a loud cheer. I smiled from ear to ear and asked “is this really happening?!” It was!!!! Two years after swiping right (tinder reference) and becoming immersed in each others lives, I excitedly said yes!

After getting engaged we traveled to Zimbabwe to celebrate Simba’s cousin’s wedding. We were gracious to be hosted by Mulenga, Simba’s cousin (who’s more like his sister), her husband, Clement, and their adorable children, Mwaami and Mungeli. To my surprise, I was welcomed into Simba’s family with a Muroora ceremony, a traditional Shona engagement party to introduce me to Simba’s family. The party was full of food, dancing, and African wardrobe. Mulenga and Clement hosted an amazing party and we are eternally grateful for their love and hospitality. I met dozens of Machona family members and introduced myself as Simba’s wife-to-be. Fortunately, Simba taught me some phrases in Shona before our trip and I was able to impress the Machona family by introducing myself in Shona. Después de comprometernos, viajamos a Zimbabwe para celebrar la boda del primo de Simba. Estuvimos muy agradecidos de ser recibidos por Mulenga, la prima de Simba (quien es más como una hermana), su esposo Clement y sus adorables hijos, Mwaami y Mungeli. Para mi sorpresa, fui muy bien recibida por la familia de Simba con una ceremonia de Muroora. Es una fiesta tradicional de compromiso Shona para presentarme a la familia de Simba. La fiesta estuvo completa con mucha comida, baile, y un vestuario tradicional africano. Conocí a docenas de miembros de la familia Machona y me presenté como la futura esposa de Simba. Por suerte, Simba me enseñó algunas frases en Shona antes de nuestro viaje y pude impresionar a la familia Machona al presentarme en su lenguaje.