She found herself sitting beside the most irritating person on the plane. And somehow, they ended up falling in love.

The first encounter between Krystina Burton and Gabriel Solberg had her rolling her eyes in annoyance.

At the time, Burton, a 30-year-old dancer from Los Angeles, was waiting at JFK after a New York audition. It was an early morning, and the terminal was nearly deserted, leaving her a whole row of seats to herself.

When a man dropped his bag and plopped down next to her, Burton couldn't hide her frustration.

The man was Solberg, 34, returning from a European family visit. Exhausted from a long layover, he was barely aware of his surroundings.

"This guy has no sense of personal space," Burton recalls thinking. The two were so close that she could make out the seat number on Solberg’s ticket. Realizing he was assigned to the seat next to hers, she groaned inwardly. The idea of spending six hours next to someone so oblivious to boundaries was not appealing.

This was back in July 2018. Now, when Solberg reflects on the situation, he’s quick to offer a different perspective.

"That’s her version," he tells Dinogo Travel, chuckling. "When I got to the terminal, it was crowded, so I just picked an empty seat. I was only there for a few minutes."

Burton recalls that Solberg’s brief sit-down was only because he immediately got up when the boarding announcement was made. To her, this behavior confirmed her initial impression of his arrogant attitude.

"I knew we must have been in the same boarding group since we were seated together, but he was already off and boarding with a random group," Burton tells Dinogo Travel.

When Burton boarded her Alaska Airlines flight and saw Solberg already in their row, she quickly tried to put on her headphones, hoping to avoid any conversation.

"But I wasn’t quick enough, and he immediately struck up a conversation with me," Burton recalls.

Solberg hadn’t really noticed Burton in the terminal, but as soon as she boarded the flight and walked down the aisle toward his row, he saw her.

He says her smile instantly captivated him, and then something clicked.

"Wait, weren’t you sitting next to me in the terminal?" he asked, grinning.

"You were sitting next to me," Burton replied, still smiling.

Burton's initial impression of Solberg as arrogant and self-absorbed began to fade, and soon the two were engaged in conversation.

"I feel like the banter started right away," Burton reflects. "The moment I boarded and was heading to my seat, everything shifted – there was no more irritation."

Love at 30,000 feet

When the captain announced that the flight would be delayed for a couple of hours, Burton and Solberg found themselves seated together—Burton in the middle and Solberg by the aisle. The passenger by the window fell asleep almost immediately, leaving them to occupy the row alone.

As the plane remained grounded, Burton and Solberg’s conversation shifted from casual chatter to deeper discussions.

"We covered everything in our conversation," Solberg remembers.

They reminisced about their careers, where they lived, and what brought them to Los Angeles. Their shared passion for travel also sparked a connection – Solberg, who’s half-French, half-American, grew up in Germany and had spent much of his life traveling. Burton, as a dancer, had globe-trotted as well, performing on cruise ships and touring the US.

By the time the flight finally took off, it felt as though Solberg and Burton had known each other for years. They watched a few movies together but spent most of the time laughing and chatting through them.

"I couldn’t resist telling her how awful her movie choices were," Solberg jokes.

"We were trying to watch 'Planet of the Apes,' which I thought was a great movie," Burton says. "But he was like, 'This is the dumbest movie I’ve ever seen.'"

Burton was drawn to Solberg’s straightforwardness and sense of humor. Beneath his jokes, it was clear he had a kind heart.

Over the course of the six-hour flight, the conversation deepened. They discussed spirituality, religion, and their personal views on life.

Solberg describes it as, "just one of those organic conversations that flow naturally."

By the time the flight landed, their sleeping neighbor was in for a surprise.

"When we first boarded, nobody knew each other. The guy next to us fell asleep for the whole flight. By the time we landed, we were basically sitting on top of each other, and he woke up all confused, like ‘What’s going on?’" Solberg recalls, laughing.

The connection was evident, not just to the man in the window seat, but to Solberg and Burton as well.

However, they both had reservations, each for their own reasons. Solberg had recently ended a long-term relationship about five months earlier. After spending the summer visiting friends and family in Europe, he was on his way to Seattle to see more relatives. Romance was the last thing on his mind.

"At that point, I was done with relationships. I was thinking, ‘I’m not interested, not looking,’" he recalls.

Burton says she wasn’t looking for anything either.

"I’d never been in a relationship before," she says. "I was perfectly happy living my single life with my best friend in LA."

Burton and Solberg’s unexpected eight-hour ‘date’ on the plane took them both by surprise. It wasn’t love at first sight, they say, but it felt easy and natural to be together.

"It was more of a calm, almost logical feeling, which is something I’d never experienced before," says Solberg.

When the flight landed at LAX and passengers began to exit, Solberg and Burton prepared to part ways.

"I told her, ‘Something’s definitely here, so I’m coming back in a week to see where this leads,’" Solberg recalls.

"Honestly, I didn’t think it would happen," Burton admits. "I knew there was some sort of connection because I could feel it, but I just thought, ‘Yeah, right, you’re really going to come back to LA and hang out with me? I wasn’t convinced.’"

As Burton’s ride arrived, Solberg gave her a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek to say goodbye. Even though she thought she might never see him again, she immediately texted her sister and friends to share the story.

"This is a meet-cute," she remembers thinking to herself.

"I knew I’d be back," says Solberg. He sent a text to his brother as he walked away.

"I just met the girl of my dreams," he wrote.

Cabin in the woods

A week later, Solberg returned to Los Angeles. During the days in between, he called Burton to make plans.

"We talked for two or three hours on that phone call," he recalls.

Solberg remembers how strange it felt – speaking to someone he barely knew with the ease of a long-time friend.

And now, he was preparing to fly across the country to visit her.

"It’s so strange, it feels like we’ve known each other forever," he reflects.

"I don’t usually enjoy talking on the phone, but it felt so easy," Burton agrees.

During their call, they brainstormed what to do when Solberg returned to town.

Burton suggested a simple dinner and movie, but Solberg wanted something more adventurous, especially since he was traveling all the way across the country. He proposed renting a cabin in Topanga Canyon, nestled in California’s Santa Monica mountains.

"I thought, 'This is great. We can just relax here, it’s close to the beach, and LA isn’t too far away,'" Solberg says.

Burton, on the other hand, wasn’t fully sold on the idea of a "murder cabin." While she was looking forward to seeing Solberg again, her friends and family were genuinely worried about her traveling to a remote spot with someone she had only recently met.

Before the trip, a friend handed her a pair of brass knuckles, just in case Solberg had any ill intentions.

Although the cabin turned out to be more rustic than Solberg had imagined, they had a fantastic time in Topanga. The two quickly picked up where they had left off on the plane, enjoying scenic drives, dining out, and having deep conversations.

On the day Solberg was meant to fly back to New York, the two enjoyed brunch together, talking about where their connection might go from there. The idea of parting ways again was hard to bear.

"We were both feeling a little down," Solberg recalls. Instead of saying goodbye, they decided that Burton would join Solberg on his flight to New York to continue their journey together.

"There was one empty seat next to me on a flight I’d already booked, so she just grabbed it and flew back to New York with me for a couple of weeks," says Solberg.

Caught up in the excitement and romance of the moment, Burton completely forgot about the brass knuckles still in her bag.

"It felt like something out of a fairy tale, but as we all know, every story needs a bit of drama," she reflects now.

While passing through airport security, her bag triggered the alarm. The TSA agent pulled out the brass knuckles and immediately escorted Burton aside.

"It was awful and so embarrassing. I’m not a very emotional person, and especially after just meeting him, I was mortified," Burton recalls.

The police were called, and Burton was warned she could face a court appearance.

Solberg could see Burton pulling away from him, retreating into herself.

"I got her to open up about it, to share where she was emotionally," he recalls now.

"I wasn’t going to just let you shut down," he remembers saying. "That’s not how communication works, it doesn’t help anything."

He urged Burton to be honest about how upset she felt. The issue was sorted out, and both Burton and Solberg were allowed to leave security, board their flight, and she avoided any court appearance.

Burton admits that, even without the added stress, the whirlwind romance was both exhilarating and a bit overwhelming.

"I was so anxious because I’m usually calm and logical in my decisions, and this was so impulsive, so unlike me. It was causing me anxiety. I kept thinking, ‘Why am I doing this? It feels right, but I don’t have a plan,’" she recalls.

Solberg admits that, although he was claiming his growing connection with Burton was casual, his actions didn’t quite match up with his words.

Burton could see right through the act.

"I’m like, ‘Alright, you flew all the way back to see me. Then we both went to New York together. But it’s nothing serious?’ Fine, let’s just pretend that’s the case," Burton says.

Despite this, Burton made it clear that her career as a dancer would always take priority. When her agent called about a big audition, she cut the New York trip short and flew back to Los Angeles.

However, Burton and Solberg talked about how her job allowed her the freedom to live just about anywhere. After a couple of months of back-and-forth flights, Burton decided to move in with Solberg in New York.

It was a huge leap, but Burton felt it was the right move. She knew that she and Solberg were aligned in their feelings.

Her career remained her top priority – just after moving to New York, she left for a three-month tour.

"By the second time he visited LA, we were already discussing things like how we’d raise our kids," Burton says. "But we both love to travel, so we knew that would always be part of our life. My career is always changing, but the one constant was that we’d be together and eventually get married."

An impromptu photoshoot at the airport.

In October 2019, about a year after their first meeting on the plane, Burton and Solberg became engaged while holidaying on the stunning Italian coastline.

Solberg nearly forgot the engagement ring, and Burton's mother had to meet him at the airport to secretly hand it over without Burton noticing.

The proposal happened on a rooftop, offering breathtaking views of the coastline below.

When they decided to book an engagement photoshoot with photographer Tyler Petit, they knew exactly where it should be – at an airport.

To be more specific: Terminal A at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C. – a historic, expansive terminal that provided the perfect setting.

Their ‘meet-cute’ was reflected in their wedding invitations, which were designed to look like airplane tickets. Burton and Solberg had envisioned a glamorous destination wedding in St. Lucia.

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic derailed their wedding plans. However, in recent months, they've begun to revive their preparations. The process is more challenging since Burton is currently in Germany, starring in a production of ‘Aladdin.’

Long-distance isn't easy, both Burton and Solberg admit, but they take pride in watching each other excel in their careers. They know they share similar long-term goals and ambitions.

‘In the next few years, we definitely want to travel a lot. We’ll see where her career takes her, as we can live in different countries – I’d love to explore various cities,’ says Solberg. ‘Ultimately, we want to settle in one place, but we’re still figuring out where that will be.’

‘We really enjoy living a nomadic lifestyle,’ says Burton.

While Burton and Solberg agree that there has always been a natural ease in their relationship, it hasn’t been without its challenges.

They share many similarities, but also have distinct personalities. Burton describes herself as more logical, while Solberg tends to follow his emotions. Their backgrounds also differ: Solberg was raised in Europe, whereas Burton grew up in the United States. Solberg comes from an Orthodox Jewish background, while Burton is Catholic. Additionally, Burton is Black, and Solberg is White.

From the very beginning, the couple openly discussed the dynamics of being in an interracial relationship.

‘There have been moments where I’ve seen things from a White perspective, and she’s experienced them as a Black woman,’ says Solberg. ‘I wish I could understand that on my own, without needing to talk about it, but I wasn’t there. So, these conversations have been really important, and they’ve been valuable for us.’

‘I think it was only difficult at first,’ says Burton. ‘You don’t know what you don’t know. If it’s not your lived experience, you can’t always recognize these things. And it’s one thing to hear about it or read about it, but when you’re actually there, when you’re seeing it firsthand, it’s a whole different feeling. You can’t really grasp it until you witness it.’

Solberg and Burton share their travel experiences on their Instagram account @swirlthroughtheworld. They also run a YouTube channel and a blog where they openly discuss how they met and how they navigate their life together.

A solid foundation

Both Solberg and Burton believe that the strength of their relationship lies in their openness and communication, which was possible because they were both at peace with themselves when they met.

‘It’s the classic advice – stop searching for it, stop pretending to be someone you’re not, and just be comfortable with who you are,’ says Solberg.

‘I was in a place of contentment,’ says Burton. ‘I was living my dream, doing what I loved, and I think that’s what allowed me to be open to something new.’

‘People are going to roll their eyes at that,’ she laughs. ‘But that’s honestly how it all went down.’

For Burton and Solberg, what began as an extended first date on a flight from New York to Los Angeles turned out to be the ideal beginning for their journey together.

‘The conversations we had on the plane laid the foundation for everything,’ says Burton. ‘We discussed so much early on, and that’s what really set the stage for our relationship – what we expect from each other, who we are as individuals, and how we complement one another.’