Her Version

We met in 2018 when I took a much-needed break to visit Nigeria after graduating and trying to figure out what was next in life. I didn’t realize that trip would shift everything for me—not just in life, but in love too.

Now, let me set the scene properly… Lufthansa had lost my luggage. So there I was, freshly arrived, getting eaten alive by mosquitoes, rotating between a Power Rangers T-shirt, shorts, and whatever my aunt could spare. Not exactly giving “future wife,” but somehow… he thought I was 😅

My first impression? He was calm, well-dressed, had a great smile—and most importantly, he felt easy to be around. At the time, I was mostly keeping to myself, so having someone genuinely kind, eager, and just… a good person to spend time with stood out to me. Nothing felt forced. It was natural. Organic.

Ironically, the only reason we exchanged numbers was because I was trying to be a good person and help him prepare for an interview. That “quick advice” turned into talking every single day… which, looking back, was actually insane. From the day we met in March 2018, we haven’t missed a single day.

We started on WhatsApp (before I eventually bullied him into getting an iPhone), and somewhere along the way, I became the master of time zones. I was his morning alarm, making sure he got up for work. His night became my midday check-in. And my mornings? Always met with sweet messages or random songs that somehow always hit.

After about eight months of talking every single day—and me flying back to Nigeria —we had to have a real conversation: What are we doing?

Our families were already intertwined before we even met, so this was never something that could stay surface-level. We both knew that if we took the next step, there was no going back. This wasn’t casual… it couldn’t be.

So in October 2018, we made a decision: we were going to be intentional and figure it out—no matter what it took.

And what it took… was a lot of flights.

Our relationship carried us across Nigeria, London, New York, and back to the U.S.—over and over again. And while it looked exciting (and it was), long distance is not for the weak. Would I recommend it? Let’s just say… you need patience, intentionality, strong communication, and a whole lot of grace.

But in a strange way, the distance was also a gift. It gave us the space to grow individually and truly learn who we were—while still choosing each other every single day. It taught me sacrifice. It deepened my faith. It pushed me to trust God in a way I never had before.

One of the most chaotic (but special) moments was surprising him for his birthday. He had absolutely no idea I was coming—and I didn’t come alone. I managed to pull together his friends and family too. Between the travel, the timing, and coordinating everything, it was a lot… but completely worth it.

And then… just when I thought I had pulled off the biggest surprise—he turned around and surprised me.

The day before I was supposed to leave… he proposed.

I remember asking my mentor and my married friends how they knew their husbands were “the one”. But somewhere in all of this—in the consistency, the friendship, the faith, the laughter, and even the challenges—I realized… I already knew.

By the grace of God, we are here today. And looking back, I wouldn’t change a single part of our story.