Yuriy Goshovskiy

ENGLI-1101-NET59
Fall 2021
Love at a Distance

Taking opportunities and risks is a big part of growing in life, but it sure is scary. I was

never big on going out of my comfort zone as I didn’t see a purpose

in it. That was until I met a girl online who happened to live on the

other side of the world. For over a year my girlfriend, Victoria, and I

had never met each other in person. Countless video-chats and yet I
Risks; Photo via projectboldlife.com.
had never physically hugged the one person who was most special to

me. I knew that if I wanted to change that, I had to take the risk of going across the world alone.

It was a risk I ended up taking and I’m so glad I did because it was one of the most memorable

weeks of my life.

The idea of a long-distance relationship isn’t a new one. They are becoming more and

more common throughout the years especially with technology. What is less common is starting

a relationship without ever having met the person in the first place. This happened to be my

situation. I had developed a deep and strong relationship with a girl who I happened to meet

through Minecraft. Yes, you read that right,

Minecraft. Funnily enough, we met through

this game on a public server. We began

chatting through the in-game chat feature

about the game itself and then thought,

“You know what, this would be easier if we Chicago to Barcelona; photo via fly4free.com

just voice chatted.” So, instead of all that typing, we switched over to voice-chatting and that’s

how we really got to know each other. It happened very naturally and over time we learned to

trust one another. After countless hours of us video calling, playing video games, and baking fun
recipes, it was clear that our time spent together at a distance meant something more to us.

Eventually, we decided to be purely exclusive to one another. We agreed that an official

“boyfriend/girlfriend” label would come after meeting, though in all honesty, we experienced

many of the perks of being a couple even at a distance and without a label. We were committed

to each other, and we knew we wanted to meet at one point or another.

Though the pandemic certainly affected international travel, it didn’t prevent me from

wanting to travel to her city, Barcelona. I began speaking to her in early August of this year

about the best time to visit and we concluded that late September would be perfect for two

reasons. One, the weather would be near perfect - not too hot, not too cold. Two, I’d be

celebrating my birthday in another country with someone special. So, we agreed. I’d be leaving

my city on the 24th of September to stay in Barcelona for a week. Victoria and I were filled with

joy. We began planning our days together, speaking to our parents, and setting expectations.

Soon after, I booked my flight and hotel two weeks before the scheduled trip. I couldn’t believe I

was about to fly across the world alone to meet a girl. It seemed so bizarre that I was going to do

it. I was happy, scared, nervous, excited… pretty much every emotion you can think of. Then in

a blink of an eye, two weeks passed. I had 24 hours left until my flight.

First flight from Chicago to Miami

 I woke up at 6 AM with my carry-on

bag already packed. I quickly showered, put on

some comfortable clothes, and then I was just

about ready to leave. I made sure I had all the

right documents with me: my wallet, passport,

and negative covid test. With this being my

first time flying internationally alone, I wanted

to get there about three hours early. My mom

was waiting for me downstairs. I grabbed my

bags and documents and made my way to the

car. I explained to my mom, “I need to be

dropped off at terminal 3.” She seemed a bit Bags packed and ready; photo taken by me.

nervous driving me over there. She had every right to be nervous too! Her youngest son was

about to travel across the world alone to meet someone. I’d be nervous too. Thirty minutes go by,

and we arrive at the terminal. She gives me a hug and kiss before I leave and says, “Please call

me if anything, okay?” I responded, “Of course, I will. I love you!” From there on out, I was on

my own.

When I got to O’Hare, the first thing I had to do was go through the check-in process.

Luckily when I found my airline check-in area, a kind lady assisted me throughout the whole

process. I explained to her how it was my first time traveling alone and that I was a little

nervous. She said “No need to worry! Here are your boarding passes. Now all you want to do is

go through security there and find your gate. We are here to help!” I was relieved. I made my

way through security relatively smoothly and then grabbed my belongings after everything was
scanned. I was keeping Victoria updated

during this time. I sent her a photo,

explaining to her that I was on my way to the

gate. We were both super excited. With about

an hour and a half to spare, there was plenty

of time to eat, use the bathroom, and keep

everyone updated.

O'Hare airport; photo taken by me.

That time passed by quickly. I called Victoria, telling her that I was about to board my

first flight, “Hey, I’m about to board the first flight to Miami! When I land, I’ll call you.” She

responded excitedly “Okay! Have a safe flight.” The call ended, and then I heard my group

number, “Group 8, you may begin boarding. Group 8….” That was me! They scanned my

boarding pass and directed me to my seat. I put my belongings away in the overhead bin and sat

down. I was off to my first stop, Miami.

When we landed, I quickly grabbed my carry-on bag from the overhead bin so I could try

to get off as soon as possible. I had never been to Miami’s international airport, so I wanted as

much time to figure out where I had to go for my second flight. As I was exiting the plane, I

texted Victoria, “I’m in Miami. Next stop, Barcelona!” She called me immediately after she read

the text. I picked up and we began talking about the plan. The flight from Miami to Barcelona
 was about eight hours. She had to be waiting for

me at the airport by around 9:00 AM her time. I

would make sure to call her once the plane

landed. With that established, all I had to do

was find my gate. Fortunately, the gate was a

five-minute walk from my position. I found the

gate, sat down, and waited to board the flight. I

couldn’t believe how close I was to see her –

one flight away.

“Group 7! Please begin boarding, group

7!” Group 7? That was me! I grabbed my

Miami to Barcelona flight; photo taken by me.
belongings and scanned my second boarding

pass. The flight attendant kindly directed me to my seat and found a spot to fit my carry-on bag.

Then, I took my seat and began preparing myself for the longest flight I’ve ever had to take. That

meant reading my book, watching my downloaded movies, and sleeping. When the aircraft took

off, I decided to spend the first two hours watching a Disney film called Cruella. It certainly

distracted me from the fact that I was thousands of miles away from home, which was a bit

unsettling to think about at times. Then, the flight attendants served dinner. I went with chicken

and rice. They kindly offered beverages and snacks too! By the time I was finished with my

meal, I figured it was time to sleep. I still had about six hours left until landing. Sleeping,

however, was near impossible. The plane was super cold, and the seat was incredibly

uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I slept what I could.

 By the time I woke up, I

was already in Barcelona. The

plane had just landed, and

passengers were quick to get

their belongings. I grabbed my

bags and made my way out of

the plane. Then I had to go

through security again and they

Barcelona El Prat Airport; photo via corporatetravelcommunity.com
made sure I had all my

documents. I was officially in Barcelona. I called Victoria to let her know that I was here. She

was waiting outside the exit for me. We were on call for about twenty minutes because I was

lost. Lucky, I found the exit she was referring to. She described her outfit, “Black top with jeans

and white sneakers.” Then I described my outfit, “Blue sweater with khakis and white sneakers.”

As I approached the exit, I noticed her instantly. We were still on the phone. She yelled, “Oh my

god, I think I see you!” We waved at each other to make sure we

didn’t get confused. I hung up the call and immediately started

running at her. She held her arms out and I went in for the biggest

hug I had ever given. I never felt more relief in my life than that one

moment. We finally did it.

I think from that point on, everything started to feel like a

dream. We both felt that way. She couldn’t believe that someone

would go across the world just to be with her, and I couldn’t believe

that I had it in me to do something so courageous. Well, for me it

Me and Victoria after meeting.
took a lot of courage. I was scared because of my little to no

travel experience. It was a huge risk on my part, but I am so

glad I took it. It taught me a lot about myself, and more

importantly, it showed me that no amount of distance can

separate me and this girl. We spent our days visiting beautiful

places and eating authentic Spanish food. I had never seen such

beautiful Spanish architecture in my life, nor have I had food as

good as empanadas before. Her family was so welcoming as

The Sagrada Familia; photo taken by me.
well. I was fed the entire week by her mother and luckily, she

happened to be a great cook. She even made a cake for me on my

birthday. It was a birthday that I will never forget! The best part

of it all is that I got to spend my time with someone I truly love. I

would easily do this an infinite number of times over again.

Ultimately, I learned that taking risks is a part of life.

Without taking the risk of traveling alone across the world, I

would’ve never known what Victoria is really like in person and

Cake made by Victoria’s mother.
trust me, we wanted to see each other for a while now. For me,

that meant building up courage and taking the risk. Some things and people are worth the risk,

but don’t let a little fear or anxiety stop you. You never know how it might turn out!
Inside of Sagrada Familia; photo taken Victoria and I at Park Guell. Medialunas & an empanada; photo
by me. taken by me.