How a Frenchie met a Finn in Spain

This is an unconventional love story, and obviously my favorite. I met Sami in November 2013 in Barcelona. We were both there doing an Erasmus studies exchange program at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. We spent a year there, it was rather a catastrophe studies-wise but a wonderful human experience.

The beginnings

This is the first picture taken of the two of us, in Granada in December 2013, we were just friends back then. I love how it already shows our silliness and connection. We got closer and closer and eventually started dating in February 2014. That year is still to this day the most intense of my life. Intensive language learning, intensive partying, intensive cultural discovery. That year we found each other, we made connections with amazing friends, and we traveled a lot already within Spain but also to France, Italy, & Finland.

Long distance & moves

In July we had to move back to our respective countries and decided to try a long distance relationship. Against all odds it worked really well! In 2015 I moved in with Sami in Tampere for a year, in 2016 I moved back to Strasbourg, in to Brussels and in 2018 to Strasbourg again where Sami joined me. We briefly lived in Paris in 2019 and then moved to Espoo where we currently live.

Why we stick together

When we met we were both mourning a previous relationship, we didn't believe in love anymore you could say. But our bond was just too strong. The way we balanced each other, the way we would mix languages, the way we would see eye to eye on the future, a friend of ours at the time already said "it's meant to be"... Sami is the calm to my crazy, and I spice up his life. We overcame many obstacles together already and are definitely stronger than ever. The day we met is undoubtedly what I call "the first day of the rest of my life".