Unanticipated return of her adolescent summer infatuation found its way back into her existence. She experienced a sense of rekindling her closest friendship.
Iga was sixteen, Vlad was eighteen. He was chuckling with his mates. Then he pushed his lengthy locks away from his face, locked eyes with Iga, and grinned.
"I remember feeling pretty thrilled about him," Iga shares with CNN Travel today.
Iga encountered Vlad during the summer of 2005. She was on a vacation from Poland, at a summer camp in Greece. Vlad visited Skotina every summer from his home in what is now North Macedonia. The beach, nestled at the foot of Mount Olympus, was like a second home for Vlad and he was always surrounded by a crowd of buddies.
At first, Iga was drawn to Vlad yet "somewhat reserved." For the initial few days, they circled each other, but didn't speak.
One evening, Iga was lounging on the beach with her camp buddies, while Vlad was sitting close by, with his group in another circle.
"At some point, we all started sitting together," recalls Iga. "Then Vlad approached me to talk, and we sat next to each other on the beach, chatting, exchanging words. And that was the beginning."
Vlad took notice of Iga right away as well. He had "many pleasant memories" of summers at Skotina beach. He was well-acquainted with the regulars, and Iga caught his eye. He remembers her graceful walk on the beach, how she stood out immediately, how drawn he was to her.
Once they did talk, Iga and Vlad became inseparable.
"Every day we spent time together," Iga recalls. "On the beach, or going hiking, chatting..."
The two communicated in English – not Iga's strongest suit.
"But Vlad helped me out with certain words so we could communicate better," says Iga.
Iga and Vlad spent the next two weeks together. Looking back, Iga's most prominent memory of their time together was "feeling very secure." She found Vlad to be kind, respectful, funny. She wasn't head-over-heels in love – they were just friends – but she had a strong crush.
Vlad felt the same way. He described their connection as "a friendship, yet a desire to be together." He felt attracted to her.
But both Vlad and Iga knew their connection might not last.
"We had a fantastic time," says Iga. "But I was still in high school. We lived very different lives in terms of being in different countries. There was no way for us to have a future. So that's also what I remember feeling – feeling exhilarated, but also knowing there was an end to it."
This end arrived sooner than expected. Iga and Vlad bid their farewells when the camp wrapped up. Social media was still in its infancy in 2005, but the two exchanged email addresses.
Back in Poland, Iga classified Vlad as "just a friend."
"But even my mom remembers how excited I was when I got his first email," says Iga. "We kept that conversation going for the next two years."
Over that span, Iga and Vlad exchanged emails about their views on family, friends, travel, studies, dreams.
"We were both leading our lives, but we felt connected," says Iga. "We exchanged probably over 100 emails."
"I couldn't wait for her emails," says Vlad. "They meant a lot to me."
The two found other ways to stay connected, like chatting via instant messenger.
"We'd download songs and listen to the album simultaneously," recalls Vlad. "Then we'd stay up all night, discussing the songs for hours."
In time, Vlad realized he was talking more to Iga than any of his summer buddies – certainly more than anyone in his daily life.
Iga had a similar realization.
"We spent a lot of time chatting and exchanging emails, sending each other snaps of our lives," recalls Iga, who often found herself going back to photos they'd taken together that summer, posing together.
Every now and then, Iga and Vlad would muse about reconnecting, but no definite plans materialized.
As their relationships with others became more serious, the emails gradually faded away.
"At some point, we just stopped communicating," says Iga.
But Vlad never deleted his emails from Iga. He'd often think fondly of her.
Meanwhile, Iga always felt grateful for her friendship with Vlad, and sad that it had faded.
When Facebook became all-pervasive, they reconnected there. They interacted intermittently – once realizing they'd just missed each other in Germany, another time Vlad posted a throwback picture from the summer in Greece – but it was sporadic and superficial.
"Drifting apart was natural," Vlad reflects today. "It comes with the distance."
10 years later
Time marched on. Iga went to college, graduated, and relocated from Poland to Germany. She got married, and then divorced within a year. It was a challenging time for her.
Meanwhile, Vlad's job took him to the US, and he moved there permanently in 2015. Vlad saw the move as a fresh start following a recent breakup.
He had sworn to himself, upon arriving in the USA, that he'd abstain from entering into a relationship for a minimum of twelve months.
Vlad had been residing and working in Chicago for barely over a month, when quite unexpectedly, a notification popped up on his mobile device. It was from Iga.
She was passing through the North Macedonian Republic (originally known as Macedonia, but later changed its name to North Macedonia after a 2019 referendum), layovers were part of her travel plans. The airport was not unfamiliar territory for Vlad, as it was situated near his hometown. Iga had reached out, just in case, wanting to know if he would be around for a reunion, after a decade had passed.
However, Vlad was currently stationed in the United States. Upon viewing Iga's message, he experienced a rollercoaster of emotions within minutes. From excitement to disappointment, he was shocked at his own emotions. He felt a profound sadness at the possibility of missing Iga.
Vlad responded, outlining his relocation to the USA, expressing his regret at not being able to see Iga in person. This sparked a series of conversations between the two friends on Facebook messenger.
Their dialogues mirrored their teenage emails, delving deep into their lives after a decade apart. They exchanged daily messages, filling in the gaps from the past decade.
"It spiraled into intensity rapidly," Iga remarks. "It felt as if I was reconnecting with my closest friend, with someone highly significant in my life."
"Interacting with Iga was a delightful and refreshing experience," Vlad concurs.
Iga discussed her divorce, while Vlad mentioned his own single status. They felt a strong connection, reminiscent of their younger days, though neither anticipated their connection holding romantic potential.
In early 2016, Vlad mentioned his plans for a trip back to Europe. To visit family, a potential stopover in Germany to see Iga almost felt inevitable.
"The anticipation leading up to his visit was electrifying," Iga confesses. "I prepared banana pancakes for him, waking up at 5 am. I still remember wanting to treat him to breakfast since he'd traveled overnight."
Upon meeting Iga at the airport, Vlad recalls an emotionally intense and surreal experience - far exceeding his expectations.
"She looked stunning," he recalls. "Her appearance had changed, but I realized that physical presence was vastly different from looking at images."
"We'd both grown up," Vlad explains. "We were both the same...yet not. We were in our mid-twenties, having experienced growth and transformation."
Iga guided Vlad around Bielefeld, her city in northwest Germany.
"It was hours of non-stop conversation," says Vlad. "We had a wonderful time. It seemed there was something significant brewing. It was a brief period to gauge whether or not we were compatible or had a desire to build a relationship. But the connection felt good."
Steps Forward
During their time in Germany, Vlad and Iga talked about the prospect of Iga visiting the USA. A few weeks later, they had a video call to discuss this, and the state of their relationship.
Iga initiated the conversation.
"I knew I'd fallen in love with Vlad," she confesses. "I knew I wanted to be with him, but he was more reserved. I felt a need to know, 'Where do we stand?'"
With a divorce behind her, clear communication played a significant role in Iga's perspective.
"I felt a great deal of shame surrounding my past experiences," she admits. "He'd been understanding and supportive when I opened up about my previous relationship."
His support, she added, was one of many reasons she fell in love with him. The prospect he might not reciprocate the sentiment was heartbreaking. However, Vlad affirmed his feelings towards her, assuring her there was no uncertainty.
"I was merely terrified to get hurt," Vlad admits. "The concept of maintaining a long-distance relationship was intimidating."
"I wanted to be with Iga," Vlad explains. "But I was trying to live in the moment. I didn't want to rush things, labeling and moving too quickly could potentially disrupt our connection."
However, when Iga shared her concerns, Vlad assured her of his love and desire to invest in their relationship.
A couple of months later, Iga booked her ticket to visit Vlad in the USA. That journey marked a turning point in their relationship.
"At that point, our connection was serious," Iga says.
In May 2016, Iga took the leap and moved to the USA permanently, with the intention of making their relationship a priority. She applied for a work visa that would enable her to reside in the USA full-time.
Iga's family supported her decision, with her mother recalling the joy teenage Iga felt each time she received Vlad's emails.
"I had parental backing," Iga admits. "My parents were extremely enthusiastic and excited for me. But my brother was anxious, thinking, 'Oh my god, she met him online.'"
Iga acknowledged her brother's apprehensions, assuring him she'd known Vlad since she was sixteen. But she was humbled by the enormity of moving to the other side of the world for love.
Iga shares, "The initial six months were about figuring out our dynamics and sharing our lives together. It was a complex scenario since we both hail from different countries and had moved to live in a new land apart from our families." Vlad adds, "I'd never lived with anyone aside from my family and had never shared a flat with a girlfriend. Adjusting was definitely challenging."
As time passed, Iga and Vlad became more convinced of their compatibility.
"We developed a strong, stable, and dependable relationship," mentions Iga. "We virtually had no one else in our lives in the US, not even family, so we created our little sanctuary together." Iga started laying the groundwork for a life coaching business. The duo initially relocated from Chicago to Florida but later regretted the move and returned to Chicago.
Somewhere along the line, Iga discovered she was pregnant. Both Iga and Vlad had always longed for children and had discussed it early on. Iga's pregnancy was, however, a pleasant surprise.
Midway through Iga's pregnancy, Vlad's cherished grandmother passed away, necessitating his return to North Macedonia.
While waiting for his flight, Vlad sat at the airport, introspective, pondering life, loss, and love. His grandparents had shared a profound romance, which he had always aspired to replicate.
"They were the epitome of true love for me," states Vlad.
Vlad realized he wanted to spend the remainder of his life with Iga. He reminisced about their first encounter on the beach in Greece. An idea began to materialize.
"I wanted to propose in Greece," he says. He requested his friend to lend him his car, explaining his plan. His friend obliged, driving Vlad to Skotina beach.
"So, my friend, his girlfriend, and my brother accompanied me," says Vlad. "It was September, off-season. I went to the spot where Iga and I had met and recorded a video."
In the video, Vlad addressed the camera, detailing their past encounters. His fondness for Iga, their impending child's arrival, and his aspirations for their future were touched upon.
"Then, I wrote, 'Will you marry me?' on the sand," recalls Vlad.
Later, in the US, Vlad took Iga out for dinner, requesting a secluded table. He then played the Greece video on his phone.
Iga was moved by the sight of the beach and the emotional message but was unsure of where it was leading.
"Then, I noticed the beach, where he'd written, 'Will you marry me?'" recalls Iga. "I started crying. Then he presented me with the ring."
Vlad had also penned Iga a heartfelt letter, inspired by his time at home and reminiscences of his grandfather who was fond of writing letters expressing his feelings.
In his letter to Iga, Vlad expressed his deep affection for her and his feelings upon revisiting the beach where they met. He expressed sentiments that he had never articulated to her before, like his initial feelings for her and his memories of her walking along the sand.
"It was incredibly touching and romantic," says Iga. "Followed by the beautiful video from the beach, Greece holds such significance for us..."
Iga and Vlad welcomed their son, Luca, in 2018. They tied the knot a month later in a small ceremony, attended solely by their close family. A year later, they welcomed another child, daughter Klara.
A re-enacted image
Currently, Iga and Vlad reside in the US, raising their kids with a global outlook. Iga operates a life coaching business and works as a project manager for a tech company, while Vlad serves as the director of operations for a freight brokerage.
The couple have made their mark in Chicago but continue to frequent Europe.
"Preserving our family relationships with Poland, Macedonia, and Europe is crucial for us," says Iga. "We want our children to know and appreciate these cultures."
This past summer, Iga and Vlad returned to Greece with their kids, retracing the steps of their first meeting on the beach.
Iga and Vlad treasure a photo from summer 2005, displaying the two of them standing beside a blue door. Iga is seen joking around, posing, while Vlad gazes admiringly at her.
"It's a significant photo," says Iga.
The couple recreated this picture 19 years later, with the aid of one of Vlad's longtime friends, who was present during their initial encounter. The group spent the afternoon reminiscing about that summer.
"You cried when she left," the friend reminded Vlad. Iga looked at her husband in surprise – he had never admitted this before.
Then, Iga and Vlad posed by the blue door again, in the company of their two kids.
"It was truly special," says Iga.
Iga and Vlad commemorated their significant encounter by obtaining identical tattoos, representing ocean waves and Mount Olympus. Iga's tattoo resides on her left arm, while Vlad's is inked on his right. They might misplace their wedding bands or neglect to wear them, but the pair concluded that these tattoos would endure eternally, serving as an everlasting symbol of their affection.
Iga shares that the Greek summer was highly impactful for her.
"The moment I saw the mountain, I was instantly overcome with emotion because this was the location where I encountered Vlad," she shares.
She cherished spending time there with their friends and savoring moments with their children. Nevertheless, she shares with Vlad today that she had an irresistible desire, "simply to recline on the beach with you, and solely have you."
It was odd for Iga to ponder that she was no longer a teenager, caught up in a summer romance. Life had evolved, transformed into something she never could have envisioned, yet one she is inexpressibly grateful for.
"I think my younger self would be incredibly proud and satisfied," Iga muses. "I had a different existence in between. I had another marriage. And occasionally, I would find myself contemplating regrets. But you cannot lament anything; it had to transpire for you to find yourself in this scenario. Every event in my life led me to this moment."
Today, Iga and Vlad feel that everything unfolded as it ought to have.
"I'm not typically a supporter of such beliefs," says Vlad. "But considering everything we've experienced and then the circumstances returning to one another – I genuinely cannot fathom that it wasn't predestined."
"Our narrative, for us, serves as a cornerstone," says Iga. "I believe that even if we experience intense quarrels, misunderstandings, or any challenges that may arise in our lives, we will always recall our beginnings, what we have cultivated, and why it is of such importance."
Iga shares that she still feels grateful for her friendship with Vlad, even after all these years. (from the original text)
Iga and Vlad decided to visit Greece again as a family, bringing back memories of their first meeting and summer romance. (new sentence)
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