True Love Story | From Dating Long Distance to Engaged
Welcome to my relationship success story series where I will be capturing some inspiring long distance relationship love stories. In light of the pandemic, I hope to share with you some remarkable couple stories to bring you hope and inspiration. Read about Alina, Joe and their beautiful long-distance story.
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What is your long-distance relationship story? How did you meet your partner, Joe?
Alina: My name is Alina and I live in Ukraine, my future husband’s name is Joe and he lives in the UK. We met years ago on a mobile game called Clash Of Kings. One day, Joe decided to message me on WhatsApp. And there has not been a day where we have not communicated since.
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At first, it was just communication. I did not believe at the time that it could progress into a relationship since we had a language barrier and distance. But, Joe proved every time that he was ready to fight for us. After several months, Joe decided to fly to visit me in Ukraine.
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Before this meeting, we both knew we had a very special connection that we’ve never experienced with anyone else. The day that we met in real life, it was clear that we were both in love. This winter, Joe proposed and of course, I said yes!
I like that Joe is very funny and reliable. If I need him at any moment I know he’ll be with me. Joe said he loves the fact that I am caring and that I am romantic.
Can you tell us more about the marriage proposal?
Joe: So, I knew I needed Alina in my life. I’d never felt this way about anyone and I wanted to do a grand gesture to show her this. I knew instantly what I wanted, and that was her to be my wife.
Looking online and I found a beautiful diamond ring. I went to the store and looked at it. It was perfect so I purchased it. I was so excited! I messaged her two best friends, explained my intentions and showed them the ring. They were so excited.
Alina and I had a couple photoshoot booked with a photographer in Ukraine. I knew Alina loves photos for memories. So, I thought this was a perfect opportunity here. I messaged the photographer and explained to her that I wanted to propose to Alina but I needed to speak to her parents first (British tradition). I went to Ukraine and whilst Alina was showering I took this opportunity to speak to her parents. But, this was not simple. They do not speak English and I do not speak Ukrainian. So, I wrote my intentions on Google translate. They understood what I wanted and they welcomed the idea.
Afterwards, I messaged the photographer secretly and said the plan was a go-ahead for the proposal. We set a sign for the moment to do it – she would ask Alina for photos of her in front of me. I also asked the photographer to buy roses and give them to one of the stalls to collect after the proposal.
We arrived there and we shot a normal couple photoshoot. But, the moment came. The photographer asked for photos of Alina in front and for me to be behind her. My heart was racing and I was so so nervous. She looked forward the whole time but in the background of the photos, I am on one knee waiting for her to turn around. The photographer caught the whole moment with some beautiful pictures.
Alina came over and I had the ring box opened. The diamonds were glistening and I asked her, “will you marry me?” She of course said yes and then we kissed. She was so happy and we walked away, now engaged. But, it doesn’t finish here.
The photographer took us to a stall where we could purchase mulled wine and the man brought over the roses from behind the counter and gave them to Alina. It was a beautiful moment and I thought my heart was going to explode with joy.
Afterwards, we went to a beautiful restaurant which is 30 floors up and overlooks Kiev. Carrying a massive bunch of roses and a beautiful ring on my beautiful girl’s hand.
How has the coronavirus pandemic affected your relationship?
Alina: We recently met after not seeing each other for 6 months due to the coronavirus. It was a last-minute choice because it was hard not seeing each other for such a long time. We decided to meet in Turkey, Istanbul as it’s the only place where we didn’t have to quarantine upon return. Some of our favourite memories together were in Istanbul. We met at the airport and we spent the next 12 days together and it was magical. We walked around the streets, went to the mosques and ate in some beautiful rooftop restaurants. It was like the definition of the word romance.
The only bad moment was when we left each other, it gets harder and more painful for each other. But, we have the most important thing, love.
What is the best and worst part of long-distance relationships?
Alina: The best part is that we understand each other in every aspect. We know that there is nothing more important than each other’s love. The worst part is the distance. It’s very hard with coronavirus at the moment as we do not know when we will see each other next.
How do you keep your relationship interesting?
Alina: We make time just for each other. We have many deep and meaningful conversations. We play games together and we watch movies / TV series together.
How do you know it’s worth it? How do you deal with the hard times?
Alina: I know it’s worth it. I’ve never felt this way before and I know I’ll never feel like this again. When we are together I feel complete and when we are apart there is a constant longing and empty feeling. We deal with the hard times quite well. We have many plans and goals for ourselves and our relationship. So, as long as we work towards these goals there is nothing that can stop us.
I realized there is no one better than Joe. He taught me things about myself that I didn’t know. Joe is a good person and he deserves the world and more.
What are you looking forward to? What are your future plans together?
Alina: I look forward to the day we are together permanently. The day we never have to say “goodbye” and not knowing when we’ll see each other again. Our future plan is to get married, live in London and explore the world. We want to have children and enjoy every moment together.
What advice do you have for other couples?
Alina: Do not give up. If there is a will, there is a way. Nothing is impossible and if you work hard enough for it. You will get all that you want in life. I am on track to achieving my dreams and if I can do it, why can’t you?
You need to be truthful and not have secrets. You need to make sure the other person knows how important they are to you and that they’ll always be your number one priority. Be there for each other during the hard times. If you can’t deal with someone at their worst then you don’t deserve them at their best.
Follow Alina and Joe on their Instagram @alinajoe_blog to follow their story.
For more relationship content and long-distance relationship stories, follow @mylynh.nguyen on Instagram.
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