Our story began unexpectedly during Jovana's high school visit to her dad's cousin, Mondi, in Phoenix, Arizona. It was Mondi who introduced our families, and we immediately found an easy connection. One of our early memories is a karaoke night with Martin's sister Ollga and Jovana's sister Krisli. Although we lived in different states, we stayed in touch through social media for over 10 years; Martin even visited Jovana once while she was living in Detroit.

Years later, we both found ourselves on the East Coast. When Martin moved to Philadelphia, Jovana was living in New York City, and we connected a few times over drinks or dinner when Martin was in town for work. Then, in Fall 2023, we planned an impromptu road trip together through the Northeast. After that weekend, as we spent more time together, it became clear that our connection had grown into something deeper. Soon after that trip, we started dating.

Looking back, it feels like we were always meant to find our way back to each other, and once we did, we just knew.