- My partner and I met on TikTok in 2020, and we lived over 3,000 miles away from each other.
- We met in person in December 2021, and our first date lasted a week.
My partner and I met on TikTok in the middle of 2020. I live in the UK, and he lives in New York. At that time, there were over 3,000 miles and two closed borders between us, so for the first full year that we were together, our relationship was lived through Google Meets and WhatsApp messages.
Over a year later, the US and UK borders finally reopened, and we were able to meet in person. On our first date, we got engaged. Here's how it went.
I flew to see him in New York
On December 28th, 2021, I finally flew to the US to meet my partner. In total, the journey took me over 35 hours, and by the time I landed at JFK, I was exhausted, but even that didn't dull my excitement. I managed to grab four hours of sleep before getting up at 5 a.m. and jumping on the A train to Penn Station.
We met for the first time on a frosty morning outside Penn Station, and being together in person was better than I had ever envisioned. We clicked even more than we'd clicked online, and at that moment, I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that this would be the man I spent my life with.
We spent the first full day in our hotel. We ate takeout, swapped Christmas gifts, and just enjoyed the joy that came from the feeling of being in each other's presence.
We explored the city together and raised to get engaged
On the second day, we went into the city. We went to the few Christmas markets that were still open, visited Grand Central Terminal, and saw a show on Broadway.
The third day, New Years Eve, was the most special. Once again, we got up at 5 am and jumped on the A train only this time we headed for the Rink at Rockefeller Centre. We were headed toward the place where we would get engaged.
It was not a surprise. We'd made the decision to get engaged together and planned it out. We both had rings. The only thing we couldn't agree on was who got to go first.
So, it became a race. A race I ultimately lost. But in losing that specific race, I won a lifetime of happiness and a pretty spectacular engagement ring, so I'm not complaining.
After getting engaged on the ice, we grabbed breakfast and then headed back to the hotel, where we saw the new year in our pajamas after a long nap and a whole heap of takeout. It was perfect. The rest of our trip was spent strolling through the sights of New York hand in hand. We were so consumed by a happiness greater than anything I'd ever felt before and it ended much too soon for either of us.
We are still together
I reluctantly headed back to the UK on 5th January, and when I got back, my new ring was met with a lot of skepticism from those around me. Their perspectives didn't matter because, in that handful of days, I had confirmed what I already knew, he was going to be my husband.
We're still together and stronger than ever two years later. Getting engaged on the first date was the best decision we've ever made.