Our Story
Allison and I met on a fine summers evening at a restaurant next to the ocean in Auckland, not far from where we are getting married. Turned out there was two restaurants with the same name and we went to different ones, once we realised, she came to the one where I was at. Then I saw her walk over, and immediately I was taken aback by her beauty and her confidence. I knew then that this was no ordinary date, and Allison no ordinary girl.
I took time off work claiming to be sick and she lied to her boss, saying that her Australian visa hadn't come through, when it had. We spent two weeks straight with each other trying to get to know each other to see if moving countries to be with one another would be worth it. One night we stayed up all night and then drove to the park for a workout to see how we might react in our sleep deprived states, but we were too infatuated with each other to fall prey to such an obvious trick and it was simply an enjoyable night and morning.
Allison went back to Australia and we watched as the world slowly darkened with the loom of COVID just around the corner. “Australia and New Zealand will never close their borders” we were told, and I waited helplessly, counting down the days until I was out of the New Zealand Army. One weekend I was visiting Allison in Melbourne and as we were out to dinner with friends I got a text from my Mum and New Zealand was closing its borders. If I did not get in by 12:00AM sharp that night (and I was due in at 12:15AM) I would be quarantined and Allison and I would surely not see each other again until the borders re-opened (It turned out this was years later). Luckily my airline shifted back its flights and I got in just before the deadline, but I got on that flight with a heavy heart and not knowing what was going to happen. Managing to get WI-FI on the plane I took a risk, booking flights back to Australia for the next afternoon I made a plan to expedite leaving the Army.
After staying up the remainder of the night packing up the rest of my things to be ready to head back, I went to work determined not to take no for an answer, I was leaving that day. I recruited the most senior officer I could find and headed to the Officer Commanding’s office, I told him my plan and confidently said, “Sir, I believe the borders will close for Australia and I cannot take that risk, I’ve booked my flight for this afternoon”. Amazingly, he responded by asking if I would like someone to drop me off at the airport, which I gladly accepted.
Having only briefly mentioned the plan to Allison a few hours prior, she unexpectedly now found herself picking me up from the airport with all my bags, and we spent near every moment together for the next five and a half years until now.
The journey has had its challenges, but I have loved spending this time with Allison. She is the woman of my dreams and I cannot believe she chose me to spend the rest of her life with. I could not have asked for a better best friend in life and I hope we get to spend the next 70 years together growing the love that started in that little restaurant by the ocean, all those years ago.
- Rupert