My friend, Loreli, posted a selfie of our Oxford matriculation ceremony on Facebook, and Fidel proceeded to ask her: “Who’s your friend on the right?” Loreli immediately took that as her cue to start joking with him about us ending up together. Meanwhile, I was completely clueless to his existence 😂.

After what felt like a desperate job search post-master's, one of the roles I’d been eyeing from the start finally reached out: The Cleveland Clinic! The only catch? I needed a US work visa. I started reaching out to anyone who might help, and Loreli came through right away. She connected me with a friend who had just gotten a visa to train in the US—none other than Fidel. So I texted him, and he offered to call me later that afternoon (see screenshot). We talked for maybe 10 minutes, tops. Neither of us knew it then, but that quick call would mark the beginning of something much bigger. We wouldn’t meet in person for nearly 3 years, but when we did, everything changed.

Fidel and I met in person for the first time at Loreli's wedding in Aguascalientes, Mexico. We started talking outside the church, and that’s when it hit me: "Wait a second... this is the same guy I spoke to on the phone 3 years ago!" By fate, we walked into the church together, and he sat next to me during the ceremony... and again at the reception (suspicious, huh?). Then he proceeded to ask me all kinds of questions. I wasn't sure what he was after, but we hit it off. We danced all night (as you can see!), and by the end… we shared a kiss. This may sound like a romantic cliché, but in that moment, something just felt different. There was this look in his eyes—a mix of love and excitement. And the best part? He’s never stopped looking at me that way.

On the morning we were both flying home—Fidel to Salt Lake City and me to Cleveland—he invited me to grab breakfast at the hotel. That was our unofficial "first date." We had great chemistry, but I wasn’t expecting anything serious. We lived thousands of miles apart (see map), and he was a resident doctor. I figured he’d have zero time for a relationship. Still, he started texting me right after I landed, and soon we were talking almost every day. He made it clear early on that he saw me as more than a friend, while I initially friend-zoned him due to the distance (oops). And yet, Fidel was always there. Patient. Thoughtful. Consistent. Before I knew it, he had become my favorite person.

The real turning point came on May 5th, about a month after we met and after weeks of nonstop texting. I was finally brave enough to send him a risky message (see screenshot). I asked him if he was still open to being more than friends...even after I'd already friend-zoned him (LOL). To my relief, he said yes. Our plan was simple: we agreed to keep talking for 2 more months, and if things still felt right by the end of that time, he’d come to Cleveland for an official first date. Spoiler alert: he booked the flight!

Fidel’s first time in Cleveland. This photo was taken at the Cleveland Museum of Art—a place that, little did we know, would later become a very special part of our story (hint: 💍).

We met up again in NYC—technically for a Manchester United game with friends, but really just to see each other. I’ll never forget that day—that's the day Fidel asked me to be his girlfriend. It wasn’t a picture-perfect moment. We had a long, honest conversation in Central Park about what a relationship would actually look like. Flights, expenses, boundaries, future goals... we covered it all. By the end of it, it was clear it wouldn’t be easy, but we knew we wanted to try. So we did 😊. We committed to a long-distance relationship that day.

Best friend approval ✅. Jitty lives in NYC and got to meet Fidel that same weekend!

My first time visiting Fidel in Salt Lake City. Also, the first of many hikes to come...

Hiking at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, aka "Hoodoo Heaven."

Celebrating our first Christmas together at The Cleveland Orchestra Holiday Concert 🎶🎄❄️.

Our 7-hour hike on the Devil’s Garden Trail at Arches National Park in Utah.

Fidel traveled to Panama to meet my family 🇵🇦🫶—a very special and meaningful visit. It was important for both of us, especially because he took the time to sit down with my parents and ask for their blessing on our plans to get married.

Fidel and I met up in NYC (once again), but this time it was extra special—he was meeting my sister for the first time! It felt like such a full-circle moment: the city where we officially became a couple now becoming the place where our worlds started to blend a little more.

I traveled to Mexico to meet Fidel’s family for the first time, and from the moment I arrived, they were so kind and welcoming. I truly felt like another member of the family 🇲🇽🥰. P.S. They may have also discovered that our future kids probably won’t be inheriting any athletic genes from me (LOL).

Fidel was accepted into a one-month rotation with the Cleveland Clinic’s Bariatric Surgery Department. He was super busy, but it was so great to see him daily instead of just once every month or two.

Fidel told me he’d gotten tickets to a Picasso exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art. I knew a proposal was coming soon, but I didn’t expect it to happen right there. As we approached the museum entrance, his face suddenly turned serious. He started saying how he couldn’t wait to start life with his best friend… then dropped to one knee and proposed. I was literally shaking! Pretty sure I didn’t even say yes out loud—I just held out my hand and we hugged for what felt like forever. PS. Fidel had secretly asked my coworker Tianyi to take photos, and she was hiding in the museum gift shop the whole time!

We officially tied the knot in Utah with our parents and siblings there to witness it 💝. We’re so excited to celebrate again—this time with all our friends and family—at our church wedding in Panama in July 2026!