Five years ago, she couldn't sleep. She was surfing the internet, watching videos and writing on social networks. That was the first time she had seen the man she fell in love with.
It was 3am in Sydney, Australia, when a random YouTube video made her laugh. It was taken by a cute guy with a funny accent, whom she wanted to thank for putting her in a good mood. Leonie C, 19, found him by his Twitter nickname and wrote four short words: "You sir are amazing!"
At this time in Sweden, the evening was just beginning. Matthias Holmbom, a resident of a small town in the north of the country, was delighted to receive a virtual compliment from a stranger and asked what made her think so.
"Because you have a funny accent," replied Leonie. Soon they were chatting by video call, ignoring the 10-hour time difference. A great love story was born from a little correspondence.
Nine months later, Mathias flew to Sydney.
"I was very nervous before meeting him," admits Leonie. "I saw him coming out of the arrival hall, but there were a lot of people around, and Matthias didn't see me. I had to catch up with him and clap him on the shoulder. When he turned back around, he had the biggest smile on his face, and we hugged each other for the first time.
They spent a month in Sydney. Then Matthias had to return to go to university. They could see each other again only a year later, when Leonie obtained an invitation to study in Switzerland. For her, this meant not only new prospects, but also the opportunity to be closer to Matthias.
It became something of a honeymoon period for them. They travelled together to explore the world, watching the Eurovision Song Contest in Denmark, flying paragliders in Switzerland, walking hand in hand through the streets of Paris, Rome, Berlin and London, travelling through Norway, Iceland and the islands of Malaysia. Matthias introduced Leonie to his friends and she saw snow for the first time at Christmas.
"They were all so kind and interested in Australian culture! They couldn't believe that people in Australia celebrate New Year's Eve on a beach in 40 degree heat. I had my first 'white' Christmas, went skiing and saw the northern lights," Leonie recalls.
But soon her studies in Switzerland ended and she had to return to Sydney for her graduation. Matthias also returned to his studies. They were once again hundreds of thousands of kilometres apart and there was a huge time difference, but now the couple knew for sure that this was only temporary.
After graduating, Matthias applied for an Australian visa and moved to Sydney.
"If it wasn't for our relationship, it's unlikely we would have achieved everything we now enjoy. Our love pushed us to take action instead of just waiting for something from life," says Leonie.
Source: goodnews.com
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