We bring you a love story very similar to our own. Meet Sarah from Wales and Christine from Anerica. While they managed to have some better luck not having to endure as much long distance, they have still managed to make their trans- Atlantic love work. Megan actually knows Sarah from her Cardiff days and Christine and Whitney are rather glad to be able to share in the experience of moving to the UK! So enjoy, and look out for the gorgeous pictures at the end...
Love Stories: Sarah and Christine
Sarah and I met 15 January 2011 in Manchester, England.
Neither of us were really supposed to be there that weekend (I was originally planning a trip to Rome and it was her sisters birthday) and at the last minute, as fate would have it, we both ended up deciding to spend the weekend in Manchester. Her, with her friends that live there, and me with a friend (Chris) just going out for the weekend as I was stationed in Germany at the time.
Over the next 6 weeks it was very interesting. We spoke on the phone a few times but I still wasn't sure where this was going, and neither was she. We met again in Berlin 5 March 2011 and after the initial shock of seeing her again wore off, we got on very well. 2 days later when it was time for Chris and I to head back to our base, it was apparent that she and I had taken a strong interest in one another. A few weeks later, we decided to meet up in Manchester again. Had a good time, of course! 8 April I flew out to Cardiff, Wales to see her again where I shyly asked her to officially be my girlfriend. She replied "Definitely not!" which was a joke of course.
Over the next few months we saw each other about every 3 weeks. She would either fly out to visit me over the weekend in Germany, or I would come back to the UK. In May she came out to California to meet my family, as I was there on "leave" from the military. My family instantly fell in love with her (and her British accent). The kids took a liking to her and my niece (3 years old at the time) even asked if she was going to marry me one day. June, I finally met her family. I was TERRIFIED!! But things went well (obviously) and I loved them all. August we finally declared how we felt for one another and said our "I love you's". Finally, September came, and I got out of the Army and headed back to California. It was a bit scary but we both knew we would make it work some how. In November, Sarah and her family came out to Las Vegas, NV. I went up and spent the week with them and then brought Sarah back to my home town in California for her very first Thanksgiving! We spent the next few months just loving life. Going out, drinking, dirt bike riding with my family, etc.
In February we bought puppy (Toby) (which is a WHOLE OTHER STORY in itself haha). Our lives were turned upside down! My mother disapproved (as did hers) of us buying a puppy with no stabilization. She said that we could not keep him there so we ended up staying the next 2 months sleeping on my sisters living room floor. It was a hassle but it ended up bringing us closer together.
The end of March started to roll around and despite Sarah's best efforts, getting a job to stay in California with me and our new puppy were not going well. We had to face the inevitable that she was going to leave again and we were going to have to do the long distance thing after 5 wonderful months together. We decided that Toby should go with her back to the UK so we set everything in motion for him to head back to Wales with her at the end of April.
One night, about a week or so after we made that decision, we were sat in my sisters living room on our "bed", Toby at our feet, and we started talking about the future. I cannot remember the exact terminology but it basically went like this: Sarah - "Well, I love you, and I don't want to be away from you again", Me - "Well I love you too and I don't want to be away from you either", Sarah - "Well why don't we just get married. You can move to the UK with me and in a few years time, hopefully American will catch up with their policies and we can move back", Me - "You really want to?", Sarah -"Well yeah of course…I mean, if you are sure you want to get stuck with this". Side Note: Sarah always told her friends "when I find the One, I'll know" LUCKY ME!!!!!
So that was that….That was our engagement. Not the way either of us had pictured it, and a bit sooner than we ever thought, still romantic :P but nevertheless we were both super excited! We started the Visa process 30 March 2012…a few weeks passed and we finally sent it off to be processed. Sarah flew back to the UK on 25 April, and Toby 26 April.
While I was driving back with my mother from the airport after dropping Toby off I was super depressed. Both my beautiful Fiance and my puppy were gone, and I wasn't sure when I was going to see them again. I checked my email as my mother was driving and a message popped up….MY VISA HAD BEEN APPROVED!! I was full of excitement of course but then realized that had I sent it in a week earlier I could have flown with her haha. Didn't matter. 2 weeks later I landed in the UK, Sarah and Toby were there to greet me.
We decided on a wedding date….4th of July 2012. Sarah thought it was funny that a "Brit" would be taking a "Yanks" freedom on the American independence day from Britain. Ha! Cheeky! The next 6 weeks FLEW BY! and next thing you know, it was our wedding day. The morning was hectic with hair and make-up being done (I'm not glorifying alcohol, however, Champagne helped so much on calming the nerves!).
We got to the hotel, put on our dresses, and Sarah looked the most beautiful that I have ever seen her. This was the first time either of us had worn dresses while being together, and it was AMAZING! During the ceremony, there were emotions and she cried which is usually my job in the relationship…I laughed….primarily out of nervousness. The wedding day flew by. Everything was as perfect as we had hoped for…better than what we had hoped for!! And before you knew it, it was all over. We were Married!
Its been about 6 weeks now since we've been married and things are looking up. Sarah has landed a job doing what she does best, and I am now ready to start the Visa application process again. They have changed the rules but we both know that everything will work out. No matter what happens, we have the love and trust to get through what ever life throws our way and we KNOW that love will ultimately win the battle.
Its been about 6 weeks now since we've been married and things are looking up. Sarah has landed a job doing what she does best, and I am now ready to start the Visa application process again. They have changed the rules but we both know that everything will work out. No matter what happens, we have the love and trust to get through what ever life throws our way and we KNOW that love will ultimately win the battle.
We hope our story, as many others have posted before us, will be an inspiration to those out there going through similar situations. And also to those who do not have the support system that we have been so lucky to have in our families and friends, you are not alone in the world.
