Once strangers in Bolivia, they reunited six months later and found love in Paris

On her first date with Augustin Pasquet, Michelle Young found herself weaving through Parisian streets on the back of his moped.

As they cruised down the Champs-Élysées, Michelle captured a photo with her camera. In the background stood the iconic Arc de Triomphe, while Augustin flashed a peace sign. At that moment, Michelle felt an overwhelming sense of joy, unsure of where the evening would lead, but certain she'd cherish that feeling forever.

“With this camera, I could snap photos in quick succession, so I ended up creating a stop-motion film of the entire evening, from beginning to end,” Michelle shares with Dinogo Travel today.

“Much of the footage was captured along the Seine, with the twinkling lights of Paris. Even if he didn’t realize it, it was still a magical first introduction to France,” Michelle recalls.

Augustin laughs as he tells Dinogo Travel that he was only 'accidentally on a date' because, as a Frenchman, he didn’t quite grasp the concept.

“I didn’t even know the word ‘date,’” he says, chuckling. “A date is more of an Anglo-Saxon idea. For me, I just met someone, felt a connection, and decided to meet her again in Paris.”

A chance meeting in Bolivia

Their journey began six months earlier, in Bolivia, far from the iconic streets of Paris, in South America.

It was 2009. Michelle, 26, stood at a crossroads in life. She had left behind a soul-crushing job to join a Brooklyn-based indie rock band as a cellist, uncertain of where her path would lead.

“I grew up in a traditional Taiwanese-American family where excellence was expected in everything. By that time, I had already checked off my cultural milestones by attending Harvard and Juilliard,” Michelle reflects.

“But I had never done anything that wasn’t planned or mapped out for me. Quitting the only career I’d ever known left me feeling pretty lost,” Michelle admits.

Amid that uncertainty, travel became Michelle's form of escape. She set off backpacking through Southeast Asia before embarking on a South American adventure with her bandmates in the summer of 2009.

“Backpacking is everything I love. It’s the freedom of traveling without a plan, carrying only the essentials, living on a shoestring budget, and often, traveling solo. The people you meet share that same openness,” Michelle says. “I wasn’t searching for love, but I was definitely looking for adventure.”

Michelle and her friends first journeyed through Peru, then continued on to La Paz, Bolivia. From there, they ventured into the Amazon foothills, marveled at the stunning Bolivian salt flats, and finally made their way to Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Traveling through Bolivia was incredible, but things took an unexpected turn when one of the group had her passport stolen. Their plans to head to Brazil were temporarily halted as Michelle’s friend worked to resolve the issue.

At a standstill, some members of the group returned to the United States, while others headed to Argentina. As for Michelle, she reserved a couple of beds in a Santa Cruz de la Sierra hostel for herself and her friend without a passport, content to wait out the uncertain situation.

While her friend worked through the passport issue, Michelle passed the time at the hostel. She’d chosen it – one of the only two options – based on her Lonely Planet guide, which promised a 'tropical courtyard with hammocks and two toucans.' Sure enough, it felt like a lush oasis, and to top it off, it was filled with friendly fellow travelers.

Among the travelers was 24-year-old Frenchman Augustin Pasquet.

That summer, Augustin was also traveling through South America with a tight-knit group of friends. They’d begun in Argentina, then made their way to Chile, before arriving in Bolivia.

“We’d spent three days in the desert, bouncing around in SUVs covered in dust, and suddenly we found ourselves in this beautiful hostel with hammocks and vibrant plants. Then, out of nowhere, this incredibly charming woman walks by,” Augustin recalls with a smile.

When Augustin first noticed Michelle, he was sitting with his friends in the hostel's shared lounge.

“I thought she was attractive, and when she walked by, it was clear she wanted to start a conversation,” Augustin recalls. “I’m not the type to make the first move, so I asked my friend to break the ice for me.”

Augustin’s friend agreed, and, somewhat unexpectedly, turned to Michelle and asked in English, “Do you know where the market is?”

Michelle was a bit taken aback by the question.

“I remember thinking it was a bit random that of all things, that was the one question he chose to ask me,” Michelle recalls with a chuckle.

By chance, Michelle had visited a fantastic market earlier that day, so she eagerly shared a detailed account of what it was like and how to find it.

“I realized his question was just an excuse to start talking,” Michelle says now. “I guess in a way it did break the ice because I ended up rambling on, offering way too much detail, and showing off that classic American friendliness that some French people find amusing.”

Before long, Michelle had joined the group at the table, swapping travel stories with the French guys. They were easy-going and fun to talk to.

“One of them caught my attention,” Michelle admits. “But he was quieter than the others.”

That was Augustin, content to sit back and let his friends dominate the conversation, even though he was the one who had initiated the connection with Michelle in the first place.

The conversation flowed well into the evening. Michelle, Augustin, and his friends – later joined by Michelle’s friend after sorting out her passport issue – went for dinner, followed by drinks at a nearby bar and restaurant.

As the evening went on, Michelle and Augustin discovered they were both carrying identical Nikon DSLR cameras.

“We were both passionate about our cameras and photography in general,” Augustin recalls. Over drinks, they compared photos and shared photography tips.

“It was a lot of fun,” Augustin says with a smile.

“We really connected over our shared love for photography and quickly realized we had a similar sense of humor,” Michelle adds.

They were both intrigued by each other, but neither of them acted on their attraction.

“It was really quite a wholesome experience,” Michelle reflects.

The following day, Michelle and her friend got ready to leave Bolivia. Her friend’s passport issue had been resolved, and they were finally able to move on to Brazil.

Michelle and Augustin said their goodbyes, exchanging Facebook details in case their paths crossed again during their travels in South America.

Additionally, Michelle had plans to pursue graduate studies back in New York, which included an opportunity to study abroad in Paris. Now, she had a potential connection in France.

A reunion in Paris

After their travels across South America, Michelle and Augustin didn’t meet again.

Back in the US, Michelle admits she often thought about Augustin during her day-to-day life.

In New York, Michelle shared some photos from her night out in Santa Cruz de la Sierra with her best friend. Her friend pointed out one of the other guys in the picture, suggesting he might have been a better match for Michelle.

But Michelle thought to herself, 'No, Augustin is the one if things somehow work out.' She thought he was incredibly charming, that they had a similar sense of humor, and, of course, their shared love for photography. It felt like they had a lot of common ground, and she was drawn to his energy.

Back in Paris, Augustin also found himself recounting that night – and Michelle – to a friend. He particularly remembered how she had been documenting everything in real time, scribbling funny moments in a notebook to preserve them for later.

Augustin’s friend listened to his story intently, raising an eyebrow as he did so.

‘You’re really into her,’ his friend said, putting it bluntly. Augustin remembers trying to deny it, but deep down, he knew it was true. Michelle had been on his mind quite a lot.

Six months later, Michelle had settled into her graduate school program and started planning for her upcoming semester in Paris.

She decided to reach out to Augustin on Facebook, asking for his advice on the best neighborhoods to look for an apartment. However, Augustin didn’t reply immediately, so Michelle ended up sorting out her accommodation on her own.

Eventually, Augustin got back to her with a thorough, thoughtful response, detailing Paris' different arrondissements and recommending some ideal areas for Michelle to consider.

Realizing his message had arrived too late, he suggested that Michelle reach out to him once she had arrived in the city.

Upon arriving in Paris, Michelle sent Augustin a message. With no real expectations, she was pleasantly surprised when he invited her for drinks and later suggested they join a dinner party hosted by one of his friends.

Michelle recalls, 'I was definitely excited to see him again. And the idea of being shown around Paris by a local Parisian was thrilling. I think that's everyone's dream when studying abroad.'

'I was just as excited to see her again,' Augustin shares. He suggested they meet at a church in the 17th arrondissement, which, by coincidence, was the same church where his grandparents had gotten married.

'It was convenient, beautiful, and easy – not far from where she was staying and close to where we wanted to go next. It worked perfectly. And from the moment we met, it felt like no time had passed – we just fell back into our old rhythm, laughing the whole time,' Augustin reflects.

'I remember thinking, 'This could be something special.'

That evening, Michelle and Augustin enjoyed drinks at the iconic Parisian spot, Chez Georges.

'It really captures the essence of Paris,' Augustin explains. 'The bar has this cellar downstairs with arched stone walls, where you can grab a glass of red wine or anything else. It's loud, there’s music, and it has that timeless Parisian vibe.'

Afterward, the two headed to a dinner party hosted by one of Augustin's friends. It was there that Michelle found herself riding on the back of Augustin's moped, zipping through the streets of Paris.

'I definitely felt it was a little unusual to be invited to a friend's dinner on a first date. It didn't go unnoticed,' Michelle recalls.

Augustin's friends immediately made Michelle feel at home. The night unfolded with wine, raclette cheese, and laughter, stretching into the early morning. At the time, Michelle didn’t speak French, but she loved soaking up the lively atmosphere.

'I guess now we could compare it to 'Emily in Paris,' she jokes, laughing at her poor French skills.

Throughout most of the evening, Michelle found herself trying to figure out which of Augustin's friends were romantically involved.

'I just assumed that if two people were sitting close together, talking intently, or being more physically affectionate than what I was used to in American or British culture, they'd be a couple. I thought, 'Oh, those two must be together,'' Michelle recalls.

What blew Michelle away was realizing that more often than not, those people were actually dating someone sitting at the other end of the table.

This was one of the first cultural differences she noticed between American and French ways of relating.

'I've always appreciated the contrasts between cultures,' Michelle explains. 'My family’s Taiwanese, I was born and raised in the US, but I was always immersed in two different worlds. So I remember just taking everything in, trying to decode the social rules.'

It was an enjoyable evening, Michelle recalls, 'I remember laughing a lot, and his friends were really fun and so welcoming.'

Augustin agrees with her.

'I just thought she was a lot of fun,' Augustin says, reflecting on Michelle.

Michelle decided to return the favor and invited Augustin out for drinks. However, this time it was Augustin who was caught off guard by a cultural mix-up. Michelle hadn't mentioned that she’d invited a group of her American and French friends as well, whereas Augustin assumed it was just going to be the two of them. He was a bit confused.

Despite the mix-up, Augustin later invited Michelle over for dinner at his place.

'He said, 'Bring your friends.' So I did, but not 15 of them. I brought about four. And I think from that dinner on, it was clear – that was it,' Michelle says.

'That was official dating time,' says Augustin.

Over the following eight months, Michelle and Augustin fell deeply in love in Paris. They spent their days strolling hand-in-hand through the city's streets and their evenings enjoying wine, food, and introducing each other to their friends.

They also explored various parts of France together, from Bordeaux to Brittany, and all the way down to the south, to Provence.

People often assumed that Michelle and Augustin had met just recently – in France. Friends were always surprised to learn that the couple had actually met the year before, in Bolivia.

'I always thought our story was much more interesting than the typical study abroad romance in a Paris bar,' Michelle says. 'Although that's a great story too.'

While in France, Michelle had the chance to spend time with Augustin's family in the picturesque French Basque Country.

'They were incredibly welcoming,' she says.

Augustin also had the chance to meet Michelle's mother when she visited her daughter in Paris. The trio enjoyed lunch together at a restaurant near the Louvre museum.

'She was incredibly warm and kind,' Augustin recalls. 'I definitely felt like I had her approval.'

Michelle gradually started to learn French and adapted to her new life in Paris.

However, by September, her student visa expired, and Michelle had to make her way back to New York.

Long-distance love across the Atlantic.

'At that point, we had a lot of conversations about how we could make this long-distance relationship work,' Michelle says.

Thanks to her graduate school schedule, Michelle had more flexibility than a traditional nine-to-five, allowing her to jump on calls whenever she had a free moment.

'Her flexible schedule was key in keeping our relationship alive over the phone and Skype, which was fantastic,' Augustin reflects.

'Every four weeks, one of us would board a plane to visit the other,' Michelle recalls.

The couple fell into a bit of a routine, but as time passed, the strain of the long-distance relationship started to take its toll. There was no clear end in sight.

'We spent more time apart than together,' Augustin admits. 'If we wanted to keep this going, one of us would have to take a leap and move to the other's country.'

At the time, Augustin was working at L'Oréal in Paris. After some months, he began considering a transfer to their New York office.

'I really liked the vibe in New York,' Augustin says. 'I had over 15 interviews in the States before landing the job. Finally, on Christmas Eve 2011, I got the green light.'

Augustin's family was very supportive of his decision to move. His parents, who had lived overseas, had always encouraged a global perspective. Having lived in Singapore in his early twenties and traveled extensively, Augustin was no stranger to life abroad.

As luck would have it, his sister had also recently relocated to New York City.

'If anything, I think they were excited. 'Great, now we can visit you in New York,' they probably thought,' Augustin laughs, recalling his parents' reaction.

'I think my parents were relieved and happy that I had finally met someone,' Michelle reflects. 'After some dramatic past relationships in New York, they were glad to see things settle. Coming from an immigrant family, family matters a lot to them. They really took to Augustin and welcomed him with open arms.'

After nearly two years of long-distance, moving in together was 'a breeze,' says Michelle.

'We have some amazing memories from that time,' Augustin says, nodding in agreement.

'It was such a relief to put an end to the sadness that came with long weekends spent apart,' Michelle recalls. 'Whenever one of us had to leave and return to our respective countries, it was always tough. But it felt like pure luck when he was able to move here thanks to L'Oréal. It's not a chance everyone gets.'

Michelle and Augustin tied the knot in the US in 2014, blending their cultural backgrounds into one unforgettable celebration. The American guests, learning that French weddings last until the early morning, did their best to keep up with the French, who were far more accustomed to endless champagne toasts.

Michelle and Augustin's wedding not only marked their union but also honored their serendipitous meeting in Bolivia, and the journey that ultimately led them to call New York home.

'The speeches really reflected our optimistic approach to life,' Augustin shares. 'We decided to meet again and take it one step at a time – first seeing if it worked, then doing long-distance, and eventually me moving to New York. We took a chance at each stage, because we're both adventurers at heart, and the speeches captured that spirit perfectly.'

Reflecting on the past while looking forward to the future

A decade into their marriage, Michelle and Augustin are still living in New York, where they now run a business together – Untapped New York, an online magazine and tour company focused on uncovering the hidden gems of the city. Their love for photography, travel, and comparing their shots remains as strong as ever.

Meanwhile, Michelle is also immersed in writing a book about the true story of a French female spy during World War II.

'I probably would never have discovered her story if I hadn't met and married someone French,' Michelle reflects, now fluent in French herself.

Michelle and Augustin are raising their two children to be bilingual. The family spends long summers in France, while back in New York, Michelle's parents pass down Taiwanese traditions to their grandkids.

Michelle and Augustin love revisiting Paris, retracing the path of their early romance. They dream of renting a Parisian apartment and reliving the magic of those first dates and the unforgettable moped rides along the Seine.

They also dream of taking their children back to Bolivia. The hostel where they first met nearly fifteen years ago has since been turned into a government building, but the bar and restaurant where they first connected over photography and their shared sense of humor is still thriving.

'We're definitely going back there, and we're bringing the kids with us – it's 100% on the agenda,' says Augustin.

Today, Michelle and Augustin view optimism, adventure, and excitement as the foundation of their relationship.

'Being with Augustin has been a constant adventure,' says Michelle. 'We've approached life like that, whether it was planning our wedding and organizing the biggest celebration we could with friends from different cultures, or having kids. It's been another big adventure, and we're trying to raise them in a fun, globally-minded way.'

'At the heart of our relationship is this sense of excitement,' agrees Augustin. 'We say yes to everything and look forward to the next chapters in life. We've had a chapter where we were apart, but now we have so many more chapters to experience, and we approach each one with positivity, excitement, and a sense of adventure that we want to pass on to our two daughters.'