Connect How did your love story begin?

In December 2018 James was traveling around Italy. He was in Naples for only 3 days, still enough time to meet my best friend Beatrice, who used to work at the bar next to his B&B at the time. She introduced us the very next night. We talked all evening and by the end of the night we were kissing. About 7 years later, after a very long distance relationship and a pandemic, we're still here and just celebrated our second wedding anniversary.

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

There's so many different memories, it's difficult to choose, but December 2020 was definitely an important one. James was supposed to visit in March that year, but got stopped by the lockdown. Of course I couldn't go to New Orleans either, so it was a very emotional moment when we finally hugged at Naples airport after a whole year apart. That Christmas James also met my family for the first time, it was a precious little moment in a terrible time in history.

What would you do with $20,000?

2024 was a difficult year for both of us, James had to change jobs and I'm still struggling to find one. So 20,000 dollars would be a big help for us to pay the mortgage, fix things around the house and maybe finally allow us to travel to Italy to see my family and friends after two years.