We somewhat dated when we were around 15 years old, but it didn’t last more than 2 weeks. We did not see each other for over a decade after that. Upon graduating from high school in 2010 we each studied abroad in the US — Eli lived in New York and Dach in Arkansas. Despite Dach visiting NY a couple of times, our paths did not cross a single time! Not even common friends within the Bolivian community made an encounter happen.

In 2019 we bumped into each other at a random party and found much to talk about throughout the night. That was where everything started…again. An extremely sugary ice cream the next day was our first official date. I (Dach) believe it was the sugar that made my stomach hurt…she (Eli) says I was nervous.

About 7 months after the ice cream, we broke “THE RULES” and told our parents we were moving in together. Between long hours at work, and our houses being at opposite ends of La Paz, it was too tiring to try to spend time together. The news brought tears (not ours) but this was what we really wanted.

We rented a tiny studio – literally tiny – where the kitchen was basically next to the bed. Nevertheless, it was ours and we loved it! Only 2 months after moving there, BOOM, the lockdown started. Six weeks at my parents house, followed by six weeks at Eli’s parents house made me realize she was the woman of my life.

Around August we went to visit the construction site of our new apartment, the place I told her would become our first home. Since our future was being built there, I asked her to marry me — and thank goodness she said YES!