Kal and I met in Minneapolis, in the midst of COVID, fall of 2020. Kal had lived in Minnesota for a number of years and I was there on a travel nurse assignment. As my assignment extended longer and longer, Kal and I were able to spend more time together. We would take trips up north to Duluth, go camping, and even float down the river during the summer months.

At the end of 2021, Kal made the difficult decision to return home to Libya to see his family, knowing he wouldn’t easily return to the states. By March, 2022, we missed each other and scheduled a trip to Egypt to spend time together. It was at the Pyramids of Giza, on the last day of our trip, that Kal proposed!

The next 2 years were spent completing paperwork and waiting for Kal’s K-1 Fiancé visa to be accepted. During that time, I continued working as a travel nurse in Minnesota and Ohio. Kal moved to Antalya, Turkey to pursue and complete his MBA. I was able to travel and visit Kal every 4-5 months from 2022-2024.

In February 2024, Kal and I spent a month in Tunis, Tunisia where Kal had his official visa interview. After 5 visits to the consulate, Kal was approved for his visa! Kal’s mom was able to spend a week with us in Tunis before Kal, Katoos, and I flew home to Cleveland!

With the long trip behind us, we have been focusing on our next steps of the K-1 Fiancé Visa. The visa requires an official marriage license within 90 days of Kal’s arrival in the US. With that being said, we decided to hold a small wedding in our home on Saturday March 9, 2024 to meet the time frame requirements. We plan on holding a larger celebration later in the year!