Image: Jack Atley
I recently had an article published in The New York Times real estate section. However, the most charming part was their 'meeting story'. Below are some of the wonderful moments that happened in the interview but didn't make it to print.
...When a little pop-up chat box appeared on Alex’s computer screen in a Williamsburg loft in New York City of October 2003, little did he know he’d be married 10 months later.
At the time, Alex was working towards his PHD and had a thriving social life, but wasn’t meeting the right type of girls. Alex remembers “It [JDate] was perfect because I was really busy and JDate was time effective. It was so easy I could set up an experiment and plan for it to finish by 6pm
Romy and Alex’s internet relationship began with emails but soon blossomed through the wires and they would sit and chat to each other for hours. Alex says “we were like pen pals – there was no romance, we started off as friends”. At the time they were both dating other people. After the phone calls started to exceed 5 hours, Alex thought, maybe it’s time to meet.
Alex looked online to see the cost of tickets to Australia – but they were expensive. All the cheaper ones were going quickly. In fact, by the time he went to his wallet to pay for one, it had already disappeared. So when another one came up, he bought it without thinking twice. It then dawned on him that I hadn’t even discussed it with Romy! He thought “Oh no! What have I done?” This was Alex’s first big international trip outside of Israel.
Alex left a message on Romy’s phone saying he’d booked a ticket to Australia. Romy listened to it about “5 or 6 times” and thought “What am I going to do with this guy?” She recalls the wild situation saying “all my friends thought I was mad. My best friend thought I was an idiot”.
Alex flew half the way round the world for their first date – an expensive one at that –but it didn’t take him long to realize what a treasure he had found.
From the beginning it was comfortable and organic. After a month together, Romy decided to go to Israel with Alex. They spent their first Passover together and went to Paris for a few days.
By the time they returned – they were both head over heels – and Alex proposed.
Alex thought it was either “we would get married or say goodbye and I wasn’t ready to say good-bye” .
The fairytale was just beginning. Romy went back to Melbourne to pack her belongings. She quit her job, sold her car and moved to New York.
Alex found an apartment in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn and Romy quickly found a job at the New York Post in the IT Department as a Project Manager.
After 3 years in the City together, they started to find New York draining and not uplifting anymore. It was taking more than it gave. They both decided that Sydney was doable with an easy lifestyle and an amazing energy.
The Time Line
October 2003 – Start chatting on JDate
Feb 2004 – Alex arrives in Melbourne
March/ April 2004 – They both fly to Israel
June 1st 2004 – Romy moves to New York
August 3rd 2004 – Married
Dec 2005 – Visit Australia
Jan 2006 – Arrive Back in New York
March/April 2006 – Decide to live in Sydney
Dec 2006 – Move to Sydney (The day before Alex submits his last thesis for his PHD)
August 3rd 2009 – 5th year marriage Anniversary.
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