Spontaneity in dating is an understated quality, but sometimes, it can definitely cause a fire. Thatâ??s what Matt Robertson and Khani Le discovered when their third â??wildâ?? meeting ended up being more than what they had agreed on.
The third meeting lasted more than 60 days
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Matt Robertson and Khani Le met both in New York City. After meeting at a dating app, the two decided to take the third meeting to another level.
At first, he started with a joke.
" We were just joking about how we both needed a vacation. â??Letâ??s go to a warm place. Letâ??s get away, â??such things, but mocking. Then it became true because none of us withdrew. I always try people, and when she's not retiring, I think, 'Okay, I'll go on,' Matt Robertson told People.
So the two booked flights from a momentary boost, in early March, 2020. And now, their 5-day stay has become perhaps the longest meeting in history, as they have stalled in Costa Rica for more than 60 day.
Then, the crisis hit
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Both Matt and Khani had no idea that the coronavirus would turn into the global pandemic it is today.
" At the time, it wasn't that big. I remember hearing something about it in China, and when we got here we started hearing more, " Robertson recalls. " Trump was still saying, 'It didn't involve fun activities. However, as the days went by, they both saw that there were fewer and fewer people in their hotel. At that moment, they realized that things were more serious than they had thought.' ".
" I think on the third or fourth day, only eight of us had stayed at the hotel. And then things started to change, " Matt said. " I think it was the fourth day they announced the level of four travel advisors. And within 24 hours everything started to really change because the flights were stopped. So our flight was canceled the next morning. "
Since then, theyâ??ve stayed at various hotels and Airbnbs, paying out of their own pockets while waiting for a seat on a plane returning home.
Despite everything, their chemistry just got better
Every two people in this situation can get into a lot of trouble. After all, it was technically just their third meeting and they didnâ??t know each other well yet.
However, Matt and Khani discover that their free spirit nature is exactly what made the situation work. In fact, this was the key to their successful cohabitation.
" I do not think we really had any expectations," he said. I feel like weâ??re both similar for the fact that we go with the flow, seeing how it is. I feel we have a pretty similar approach to meetings. We weren't looking for anything serious, just to have a good time and we were both pretty independent, "said Khani Le.
They developed their routine organically. â?? Weâ??ve had a good balance between personal space and time together, doing activities and things like that, â? Le continues. " But so far, I'm going with the flow and so far, the flow has been good ."
For his part, Matt feels that the unusual situation was a learning moment, as he never thought that something like this could pass.
" I feel like it's an experience where you learn more about yourself. I didn't think I would survive that long with one person ."
The meeting ... was accelerated
"It's the longest meeting I've ever had without stopping with one person. It's like the equivalent of meeting in dog years," Matt admits. In fact, they realized that they knew much more about each other, even though their relationship had just begun.
" We just made the most of it ," says Matt.
While waiting for their return, Matt and Khani have enjoyed "Pura Vida", meaning "simple life".
" People always say, 'How are you doing?' Pura Vida. Everything is fine. Get the most out of life. "And it was our motto to overcome that ," says Matt.
Doing the best in a wild situation
Both Matt and Khani found each other in uncomfortable circumstances. But they both took a chance together and made the most of the inconvenient situation.
If thereâ??s one thing we can learn from them, itâ??s that taking risks isnâ??t always a bad thing. And when the danger comes with an unwanted consequence, we can always find something good in it. Matt and Khani established a stronger bond. They both knew they liked adventure.
