"Our love story is anything but ordinary. The only explanation as to how our paths crossed is God. I was born and raised in Durban, South Africa. My husband, Gunnar, was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 2020, during the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, I was given the opportunity to swim at Carson Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee. After my first year, I felt incredibly homesick, and I was deciding whether or not staying in America for the rest of my college years was the right decision for me. Thankfully, I chose to stay and continue my journey at Carson Newman. At this same time, Gunnar was deciding whether he would stay for a 5th year at Carson Newman to complete his Master's and play one more year of college baseball. Thankfully, he chose to stay. That next year, I happened to catch his eye in the school cafeteria.
After building up some courage, he reached out to me over Instagram and we started talking. I was leaving to go home to South Africa from Thanksgiving break until the start of the next semester in January. Despite not being able to meet, Gunnar was determined to get to know me while I was away. With a 6 hour time difference, we texted and called whenever we were able to throughout each day. When I finally came back to America, we went on our first date and the rest is history. He flew with me to South Africa to meet my family and see where I grew up. He proposed to me at the end of my Junior year, while my parents were visiting America. A year later, we got married after I graduated, and I moved to Chattanooga where his family embraced me and welcomed me with open arms. I feel beyond blessed to have met my best friend and husband, and I thank God for writing this amazing story of ours."
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