I used to be one of those people who don’t believe in long-distance relationships. Until life decided to put me on the test.

…

I’d say college is the perfect time to meet someone. Or maybe the one! You’re both at the perfect age, getting to that mature state. You still know how to have fun, yet understand responsibility at the same time. You still have the innocence and shyness like you did in high school or even middle school, but you have those moments where you just have to brave yourself. To ask for a girl’s number, for example. Just like Ady & Samantha.

Ady and Samantha met each other back in their third year of college in Singapore. Well…. Technically way earlier. Ady has had a crush on Samantha since his first year of college. Being the natural shy boy that he is, he didn’t really introduce himself without having a mutual friend. So for years, he was admiring Samantha from afar.

Until one year, you know it, their third year, one of the basketball guys happened to know Samantha. He started planning schemes in his head. Starting from pretending to wait in the hallway so that he could be introduced to Samantha, to asking her out to a movie, followed by a dinner. From those little schemes, their relationship started to build up.

And of course, what’s a relationship without a little challenge?

One and a half years into their relationship, they were separated by distance.

I think there’s a hidden magic in a long-distance relationship. Obviously, you can’t rest your head on his shoulder while you watch a movie, or you can’t really hold each other’s hands while you stroll the park, as you laugh at every little silly thing happening around you. But you can still have fun with each other. You can still watch a movie together. Believe me. I’ve done it. You can still have dinner together. And believe it or not, distance actually has the magical capability to grow your relationship stronger. You start compromising. You start to learn how to sacrifice some of your time for your partner. And most of all, more than ever, you will start to cherish each other and the time you have together.

Ady and Samantha’s first chapter of love ended with a proposal at the Hong Kong Observation Wheel. At Samantha’s birthday!

“We went through lots of ups and downs during our wedding preparation. We’ve heard lots of stories from our own friends who canceled their weddings. It was like as if God was testing us.” said Samantha.

A toast to Ady and Samantha who have overcome the challenges life has give you, and to the beginning of your second chapter!