She arrived in New York and met the person who would become her future fiancée.

The moment Lindz McLeod stepped off the plane at John F. Kennedy Airport, she was filled with a rush of excitement and anticipation.

"I'd never been to America before," Lindz shares with Dinogo Travel. "It was such an adventure to leave everything behind and travel to an entirely new continent on my own. I was really excited for the experience – it felt like a fresh new chapter."

It was June 2019. Lindz, 33 at the time, had traveled from Edinburgh, Scotland to New York City to attend a writers' conference.

After a series of lackluster dates back in Scotland, Lindz saw the conference in the US as a turning point, where she could focus solely on her career and the writing opportunities ahead. Her romantic life, however, was no longer a priority.

"Maybe now is the time to truly focus on myself, without worrying about anything else," she remembers thinking.

"But, of course, the universe had different plans for me."

Everyone around Lindz believed that a week spent alone in New York City was the perfect setting for a romantic adventure.

"You're bound to meet someone incredible in New York!" they kept saying.

Lindz ignored their excited predictions.

"I was certain that wouldn't happen, but I was completely wrong," she admits.

Lindz was still in the airport when her phone buzzed with a notification: she had matched with someone on Bumble. Despite having sworn off dating, she hadn't bothered to delete the apps – and unbeknownst to her, when her flight landed and she turned off airplane mode, her location switched from Edinburgh to New York automatically.

As she made her way through the airport towards passport control, Lindz absentmindedly scrolled through the Bumble profile of her match: a 30-year-old New York City woman named Z.

"She was really attractive," Lindz recalls.

But beyond the five striking photos, there wasn't much information about Z – no list of hobbies, no description of a dream first date, not even a favorite movie.

"You expect the bio to have some details, but all it said was, 'Write me a poem.'"

As a writer, Lindz was intrigued, though she couldn't help but think it was a bit bold to have no personal information on a dating profile.

"I thought, 'That’s probably a bit presumptuous, but still interesting. I’ll hold onto that for later.'"

The rest of the day was a whirlwind of excitement as Lindz met a number of friendly, like-minded writers at the conference.

Later that evening, after a few drinks, Lindz returned to her Bumble match.

"I had a few drinks with my new colleagues and thought, 'Sure, I'll write you a poem. It'll be amazing – the best poem you've ever gotten on Bumble.'"

Not giving it too much thought, Lindz quickly typed out a few lines – "It was a decent ABAB rhyme scheme, though not my finest work." Then, she hit send.

A perfect first date

Z.K. Abraham was sitting in her Upper East Side apartment when she saw Lindz's reply pop up on her phone.

Z, a psychiatrist who had spent most of her twenties in medical school, had received a few poems of varying quality after a friend set up her Bumble profile with that unique prompt.

Lindz's poem immediately stood out from the rest.

"I read Lindz's poem and felt an instant spark," Z shares with Dinogo Travel. "It was such an exciting moment."

Z eagerly showed the poem and Lindz's profile to her roommate before typing out a response. Lindz quickly replied, and soon they were messaging back and forth through the app.

Right from the start, Z was charmed by Lindz, finding her "really delightful and funny."

After a few exchanges, Z realized that Lindz didn’t actually live in New York – or even in the US.

"That was a bit of a surprise, but I rolled with it – I'd been to Scotland before and really enjoyed my time there, so I thought it was pretty cool," says Z.

The next few days were filled with messages between them.

"Lindz was a writer, and we were connecting on so many levels. She was so cute and pretty – I definitely wanted to meet her, just to see where it might go," says Z.

The two decided to meet at a bar in Chelsea, not far from where Lindz was staying. Despite herself, Lindz was excited. Yes, she was leaving New York the next day, and yes, she had sworn off dating, but she figured meeting Z was worth a shot. Why not?

Lindz arrived at the bar early and ordered a drink. While waiting, she began reading a blog post recommended by one of her new conference friends about a disastrous date. Lindz thought it would be funny – and maybe reassuring if things didn’t work out with Z after all.

The blog post had Lindz laughing so hard that by the time Z walked in and approached the table, Lindz was wiping happy tears from her eyes.

Z found this endearing. She smiled, sat down, and the two introduced themselves.

"I have to admit, the photos didn't do Z justice," Lindz recalls. "I was expecting someone attractive, but then she walked in and she was stunning – like model gorgeous. I was definitely not prepared for that."

The two quickly fell into a deep conversation about writing – though Z was a psychiatrist, she spent her free time working on creative nonfiction.

"Our first date was honestly the best one I’d ever had, or even heard of. It was like an instant connection," Lindz recalls. "We were talking like we'd known each other forever."

At one point, Lindz shrugged off her jacket, revealing a tattoo on her forearm.

"It’s my favorite lines from a Robert Frost poem, but in Jane Austen’s handwriting," she explained to Z.

"I have Whitman on my back," Z replied, referring to the American poet Walt Whitman.

For Lindz, the fact that both she and Z had literary tattoos only deepened her sense that this was a meeting of kindred spirits.

"I remember thinking, 'Oh my god, am I in love?'" Lindz laughs, reflecting on that moment today.

Their conversations about writing were dynamic, exciting, and full of new ideas, with both of them eagerly exchanging thoughts. At one point, Lindz went to the bathroom, leaving her phone with Z so her date could read some of her work.

It wasn't until later that Lindz realized it had been a bit of a risk.

"But I just trusted you so naturally," Lindz tells Z now. "I never would have left my phone with a stranger under normal circumstances."

As for Z, she says she would "one hundred million perfect agree" that it was "the best first date ever." According to her, both of them were completely "in the moment." They were savoring each other's company, excited by the connection they were making, without worrying about what it might mean for the future.

"We kind of put that aside, because I think focusing on the future would have actually held us back from fully connecting during those first few hours," Z explains.

Later that evening, after they were back at Z’s apartment, Z casually mentioned that it was a shame Lindz was leaving the next day.

"Well, I am leaving," Lindz replied. "But not in the way you think."

One of Lindz’s closest friends lived in Colorado, and Lindz was planning to visit her before returning to the UK.

"Actually, I’m heading to Denver, not going back home. I’ll be there for two weeks," Lindz told Z.

She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"Why don’t you come along?" she suggested.

At that time, Lindz didn’t have a clear sense of how far Denver was from New York City. (To be fair, she admits, "I’m not great with geography.") It was her first trip to the US, and she was still adjusting to how vast the country felt compared to the UK.

She simply thought: I like Z. Why end things now when we don’t have to?

The following morning, Lindz and Z didn’t bring up the Denver idea again.

"I thought to myself, 'Oh my god, she’s already over me. Fine, I’ll never see her again,'" Lindz recalls.

However, they shared a kiss goodbye when Lindz left for the airport. Since Lindz couldn’t text on her UK phone in the US, they exchanged emails instead.

An unexpected second date

A few days later, Lindz got an email from Z.

"Were you serious about inviting me to Denver?" Z asked in her email.

"Of course," Lindz replied. "I don’t say things I don’t mean."

By then, Lindz had spent two days in Denver, telling her friend all about her amazing date in New York. She also mentioned that she had invited Z to Colorado.

Lindz’s friend, who was pretty laid back, said Z was welcome to visit if she wanted to, but warned Lindz that the trip was unlikely to happen.

"She was like, 'No one’s going to fly from New York to Denver based on one date,'" Lindz recalls.

"I proved her wrong," Lindz said with a smile.

Z flew to Colorado that weekend, and she and Lindz seamlessly picked up where they had left off in New York.

"We spent the weekend driving through the mountains, hanging out, baking, and watching movies," Lindz remembers. "We were never more than a foot apart, holding hands the whole time. It felt like we were already a couple."

Z admits she knew flying across the country for a second date was a big risk. Before she left New York, she had told her brother and roommate about her plans, and both thought she was crazy.

But Z reasoned that if it didn’t work out, she could always book another flight. Why not dive in headfirst rather than wonder 'what if'?

"I had reached a point where I wanted to take more chances," Z recalls. "It just felt right, so I trusted my instincts and went for it."

During Z's visit, Lindz’s friend pulled her aside for a private conversation.

"Alright, I’ll admit it," the friend said. "Z’s perfect for you. You two are a great match, but there's one problem – you're on different continents."

Lindz’s friend was trying to prepare her for the reality that, once Lindz returned to Scotland, they would likely part ways.

But Lindz wasn’t having it. She didn’t just dismiss the idea – she truly believed that this was just the beginning, not the end.

Despite everything, Lindz and Z didn’t confront the reality of their situation that weekend. They parted ways without discussing what might happen next.

"We didn’t want to ruin the magic of what was happening," Lindz recalls.

It wasn’t until Lindz was waiting in the security line at the airport, ready to fly back to Scotland, that her phone buzzed with an email from Z.

"I had such a wonderful time," the email read. "I don’t want this to end. What do you think about seeing where this could go?"

The beginning of a long-distance relationship

Once back in Edinburgh and New York, Lindz and Z kept in touch.

A few weeks after Lindz returned to Scotland, she turned 34. Z made sure to stay up late for a video call, determined to be the first to wish her a happy birthday as the clock struck midnight.

"I thought that was really sweet," says Lindz.

As time went by, Lindz and Z's video calls became increasingly frequent.

"The more we spoke, the more intrigued I became by you – it wasn’t just that I wanted to date you, you were quickly becoming my best friend as well," Lindz tells Z now.

At that time, Lindz was focused on completing her master's in creative writing, while Z was preparing for her final psychiatry board exams.

"There were moments when we'd get on video calls, only to fall into complete silence for hours, both of us studying without a word, just sharing the same space," Lindz recalls.

Both Z and Lindz shared the details of their growing long-distance romance with their friends and family.

"My friends were really supportive," says Z. "I definitely talked about it a lot."

"My mom had always joked that I should find myself a charming doctor. And then I did, which secretly made me very irritated – I’d spent my whole life resisting parental expectations, and here I was, fulfilling one completely," says Lindz, laughing. "It was as if I’d become exactly what she wanted me to."

The distance between them only strengthened the intellectual bond that had sparked on their first date, making it a foundation of their relationship.

"When you're not physically together, you can't rely on the usual distractions like kissing. You really have to get to know someone," Lindz explains. "And there was this real eagerness to understand each other deeply."

They continued exchanging their writing, each offering glimpses of their inner worlds.

"I think I fell for you over time as a person, but part of that was falling in love with you as a writer too," Lindz reflects. "It made our connection even deeper, because I came to know you through your words as well."

About two months after their emotional farewell in Colorado, Z and Lindz reunited when Z flew to Edinburgh. Z describes the visit as a whirlwind, but it felt "completely natural and romantic" to be together again. A couple of months later, Lindz went back to New York.

"We always had the next visit to look forward to, which I think is crucial when you're in different countries. You need to know when you'll see each other again," says Z.

The long distance grew even harder with the arrival of the pandemic. In 2020, the couple endured seven months apart when borders closed.

"We stayed on video calls overnight, so she could watch me fall asleep and I could wake up to her," Lindz shares.

During this time, they tried to maintain the mindset from their first date – staying in the present, savoring the moment. But they also began talking about the future. Could they live in the same country? Was marriage something they were considering?

As the pandemic dragged on, Z began to rethink her career path.

"I was at a point where I felt I needed a break from psychiatry and wanted to dive deeper into writing," Z reflects.

Motivated by Lindz, Z decided to pursue a master's in creative writing. She applied to and was accepted into a program at the University of Edinburgh.

With that, Z relocated to Scotland and moved in with Lindz. It was thrilling but also a bit daunting – after nearly a year apart on different continents, they were now sharing a home.

However, Lindz and Z quickly found their rhythm, enjoying the discoveries they made about each other and relishing their time together exploring Edinburgh, a city rich with literary history.

Building a life together also meant blending their diverse backgrounds – Scottish, American, and Eritrean, as Z’s family hails from Eritrea in East Africa.

"That had a huge impact on my cultural identity," says Z, noting that the influence of her Eritrean heritage is especially noticeable in her cooking.

The two often shared a laugh over how Z's naturally upbeat, American demeanor seemed out of place in Scotland.

She has left many Scottish cashiers puzzled by her habit of greeting them with smiles and cheerful questions.

"They always look bewildered and a bit grim about it," says Lindz, chuckling.

A proposal and a counter proposal

When it came to marriage, Lindz and Z were in sync. They both envisioned a future together and agreed that while a proposal shouldn't be a surprise, the way it happens should be unexpected, as Lindz explains.

In January 2022, Z had just returned from a trip to the US, where she'd visited family. While there, she found a cherished childhood snow globe in the garage, but it was broken. The discovery saddened her, as the snow globe had been a meaningful keepsake from her childhood.

Back in Scotland, Lindz listened as Z shared her disappointment over the phone. Between offering comfort, Lindz couldn't help but ask Z a series of questions about the snow globe.

Lindz asked, "Can you describe the snow globe for me? What was it like?"

Lindz spent hours scouring eBay, hoping to find a snow globe that matched the one Z had lost.

Although she couldn't find the exact same snow globe, Lindz decided to buy Z a new one as a replacement.

"It’s not perfect, but it’s close enough," Lindz said after finding a similar globe.

Z and Lindz had a cat, and to keep him from tearing open their actual Christmas presents, they placed several decoy boxes under the tree. Lindz hid the new snow globe in one of these fake presents. When Z came back from the US, Lindz suggested it was time to take the tree down and remove the boxes.

As they began unpacking the boxes, Z unknowingly picked up the one with the snow globe inside, commenting on how unexpectedly heavy it was.

"Open it," Lindz said. Z, a bit puzzled, did as she was asked. As she pulled away the tissue paper, she discovered the new snow globe inside.

"I told her, 'I can't fix the one that broke, but this one can be yours. It'll live in our home, and we’ll promise to take good care of it. We’ll make new memories with it. It won’t replace the old one, but maybe it will bring some comfort,'" Lindz remembers.

"She teared up, I teared up, and then I knelt down and proposed to her," Lindz recalls.

A few months later, Z, in what she calls a 'counter proposal,' planned a surprise weekend getaway to the Scottish Borders. She treated Lindz to a stay at a charming country house hotel and then took her to the home of the famous Scottish author, Walter Scott.

"His house was absolutely incredible, majestic," Z says, reminiscing about the experience.

When Z and Lindz stepped into what used to be Walter Scott’s study, with its towering bookshelves, Z waited for the other visitors to leave. Once they were alone, she knelt down and asked Lindz to marry her.

A scene straight out of a movie.

Today, Lindz and Z are still happily settled in Edinburgh. A wedding is on the horizon, but it’s not happening anytime soon. For now, they’re focused on renovating their home and advancing their writing careers. Both are published authors, with Lindz also pursuing a PhD in creative writing and working as a freelance editor.

They’re each other's first readers, constantly pushing one another to take creative risks and move forward.

"It’s more than just having a partner. We’ve both supported each other’s creative journeys," Z shares.

Although their wedding is on pause for the time being, they’ve already had a few discussions about their future plans.

"We’re thinking of a smaller wedding," Lindz says. "But I’d still love to wear a beautiful dress."

"I agree," Z responds.

"Let’s wear beautiful dresses, have a little dance, and be surrounded by the people we love and cherish," Lindz suggests.

Beyond their shared love for writing and reading, Lindz and Z are also passionate about movies, frequenting the cinema multiple times a week.

"Z is the only person I know who has watched more movies than I have," says Lindz.

Their movie tastes are incredibly diverse, and one of the first films they remember watching together was 'Magic Mike XXL' – "the best, most feminist of the Magic Mikes," as Lindz puts it.

"A stunning film," Z agrees.

No matter what movie they watch, the two always dive into thoughtful discussions afterward.

"We’re the type of people who really like to break things down, to dig deep and piece it all together like a Tetris puzzle," Lindz explains. "I enjoy that, it’s a lot of fun."

Speaking of films, last year Lindz Tweeted about her meet-cute with Z. The thread unexpectedly went viral, with people suggesting their story would make a great movie.

"Maybe it will one day. There are so many quirky little moments that made it feel like a scene out of a movie at the time," Lindz reflects.

Z agrees. When Lindz suggested she visit Denver after their first date, Z remembers thinking, "What would the movie character do? They'd go for it."

There were moments, Z recalls, when the whole experience felt almost "otherworldly." She could imagine a soundtrack playing in the background of her life.

"It really did have that magical glow," Lindz agrees. "It felt so surreal, almost unreal. It was just so wonderful. You don’t expect something like that to happen. You expect a fleeting infatuation, not for it to turn into real love."

"Honestly, if I were watching this unfold in a movie, I’d probably think it was a bit unbelievable," Z laughs.