There鈥檚 a photograph of Laura and Adrian on the day they met. It鈥檚 a group shot, taken on the outset of an Inca Trail trek in the autumn of 2010.
Laura鈥檚 on one side of the group of hikers, Adrian鈥檚 on the other side. They鈥檙e both smiling, wearing large backpacks, a dozen fellow travellers in between them. Behind the group is a sign indicating they鈥檙e at the beginning of the 26-mile-long, mountainous Inca Trail, rocky green terrain in the distance.
When this photo was taken, Laura and Adrian were more or less strangers. They鈥檇 only exchanged a few brief-but-friendly-words of introduction over a pre-trek group lunch. They were embarking on an adventure together, with no idea of the significance of the moment.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the first picture we ever took together,鈥 Laura tells CNN Travel today. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so funny now to look back and think about what was to come.鈥
鈥楻esetting life鈥
When she decided to hike the Inca Trail, Laura was a recent college graduate from the American Midwest who thought the experience might help her 鈥渞eset life.鈥
Laura had graduated into the recession, and while she鈥檇 managed to find a job, adulthood so far wasn鈥檛 what she鈥檇 thought it would be. She felt unfulfilled, unsure and 鈥渂ehind in life鈥 compared to her peers 鈥 even though she was only in her early 20s.
It was Laura鈥檚 close friend, Liz, who persuaded Laura to hike Machu Picchu 鈥 exploring the spectacular Inca citadel was Liz鈥檚 dream, but Laura was readily talked into it.
鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ell, that鈥檚 going to be so beautiful, really poetic,鈥欌 says Laura. 鈥淭hat time of my life was really just a time of discovery, a time of getting to know myself and walking that new path of independence as a young adult.鈥
What better way, Laura thought, to metaphorically walk this 鈥渘ew path鈥 than literally hike a path trodden by many before her? The Inca Trail experience, Laura figured, would help her get out of own head. She loved travelling and learning about other cultures, other places. So, sold on the prospect, Laura packed a backpack and travelled with Liz to Peru.
In Cusco, the onetime capital of the Inca Empire, Laura and Liz joined a tour group ready to embark on the four-day trek 鈥 all travellers embarking on the Inca Trail must do so via a group tour, accompanied by porters and guides, and with permits presecured.
Before beginning the hike, the travellers had lunch together, making their introductions. In Liz and Laura鈥檚 group, there were a handful of other travellers from the U.S., a few from Brazil, a few from Argentina and one guy from Costa Rica: Adrian.
Twentysomething Adrian told the other travellers he鈥檇 dreamed of hiking the Inca Trail since he was a kid.
鈥淢achu Picchu was a place that I鈥檇 really wanted to go to for a very long time,鈥 Adrian reiterates to CNN Travel today.
Over lunch on that first day, Laura thought Adrian seemed friendly, enthusiastic, outdoorsy 鈥 a nice guy. But really, everyone on the hike seemed nice. And Laura and Adrian, who鈥檝e requested their last names not be included in this article for privacy reasons, had only really exchanged pleasantries at that point.
As they began the trek, walking through the farmland of the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Laura started talking to one of the South American travellers about her job. She soon found herself struggling to explain risk management and insurance in her then-subpar Spanish.
Suddenly, Adrian was by her side, jumping in.
鈥淗e walked up to us, and in English was like, 鈥極kay, this is what he is trying to tell you.鈥 And then summarized in Spanish and was like, 鈥極kay, this is what she is trying to tell you.鈥 He served as a translator for both of us.鈥
Laura was impressed 鈥 not least because Adrian seemed to understand a lot about her job, even though she hadn鈥檛 shared many details.
鈥淚鈥檓 in insurance too,鈥 Adrian explained. He told Laura he worked with his father, who owned an insurance agency in their coastal town in Costa Rica. Laura was curious to learn more, and she and Adrian talked about their shared career for a little while.
鈥淭hat was a fun commonality,鈥 says Laura today. 鈥淏ut we were still busy meeting everyone else. So it鈥檚 not that, at that moment, Adrian and I hit it off and we stayed together for the rest of the hike. But it was the first moment that we connected, and realized we had something in common.鈥
Later that evening, as the group set up camp at their first campsite, the porters pitching tents and heating up food on portable stoves, Adrian and Laura 鈥渢alked a little more,鈥 as Adrian recalls it.
And gradually, over the next few days, Adrian and Laura often ended up walking side by side, with Liz in tow, enjoying the views together.
鈥淭he Inca Trail was beautiful,鈥 recalls Laura. 鈥淣ot only is a lot of the trail still original dry stone construction, but there is lots of gorgeous scenery and sites along the way. We camped each night and drank plenty of coca tea to stave off altitude sickness.鈥
As they crossed mountain passes together, surveying expansive views, the three hikers chatted about their lives.
鈥淲e started spending more and more time together,鈥 says Adrian of this period.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 how we got to know each other,鈥 says Laura.
Exploring Machu Picchu together
While Laura liked Adrian鈥檚 company and enjoyed learning more about him, and Adrian found himself increasingly drawn to Laura, their dynamic on the Inca Trail was friendly rather than romantic.
鈥淎drian was just a friend,鈥 Laura says. 鈥淭hroughout the time that we were in Peru, it was just a friendship.鈥
Plus, Liz was always in the mix too 鈥 Adrian was as much Liz鈥檚 friend as he was Laura鈥檚 friend. They got on well as a trio.
On day four, the group reached Machu Picchu in the late morning. The sprawling Inca citadel, enveloped in mist, was everything Adrian had dreamed it would be.
鈥淪eeing it live was, to me, way more impressive than all the pictures and documentaries I had seen,鈥 he says.
Laura also marvelled at the archaeological site, feeling very grateful that Liz had persuaded her to embark on the trek.
鈥淭hroughout the trail the masonry and stonework was incredible, but arriving to Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate in the morning was the highlight,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e had hours to explore the city, take it in and think about the people who used to live there.鈥
Most of the tour group were travelling back to Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu early afternoon, via bus 鈥 but by coincidence, Adrian, Laura and Liz all had bus tickets booked for later in the day.
鈥淪o we were able to spend more time in Machu Picchu, just walking around the three of us,鈥 says Adrian. 鈥淭hat helped us connect a bit more.鈥
鈥淚t really was fun,鈥 says Laura.
Eventually late afternoon rolled around, and Laura and Liz had to head for their bus, but Adrian still had a few hours to spare. It was time to say goodbye.
鈥淚 remember thinking, should we exchange information or not?鈥 recalls Laura. She remembers turning this thought over in her mind as she and Liz hugged Adrian farewell.
Eventually, Laura decided 鈥測ou meet a lot of people while travelling. It鈥檚 okay to compartmentalize this.鈥
鈥淭his was a beautiful time, and it was great we got to know Adrian, but it can be something that lives within itself on that trip,鈥 she thought.
Adrian also felt a slight twinge of regret as Laura headed off to the bus stop, but brushed it off too. It was great to meet Laura and Liz, he thought. It was amazing to share the Machu Picchu experience with like minded strangers. But they lived in different countries. They鈥檇 likely never see each other again.
The group said their farewells, 鈥渏ust leaving it as it was,鈥 as Laura puts it.
An unexpected reunion
Getting off the bus in Aguas Calientes, Laura and Liz headed straight to a bar, ordering post-trek refreshment in the shape of cold beers.
The two friends sat on a table outside, chatting about the Machu Picchu experience and watching the world go by as evening descended.
They鈥檇 been there for a few hours when, to Laura鈥檚 surprise, she spotted Adrian, on the other side of the road. She almost gasped in shock. Then she shouted his name, waving to get his attention.
On the other side of the street, Adrian turned around, then he saw Laura. He grinned and returned the wave, before crossing the road to say hello.
鈥淭o see Adrian randomly, walking down the street, it just felt like, 鈥極h my gosh, okay, we鈥檙e meant to spend more time together,鈥 says Laura. 鈥淚t was just serendipitous.鈥
Adrian had intended to head straight to the train station to travel from Aguas Calientes back to Cusco. Instead, he spent the next few hours drinking and chatting with Laura and Liz.
鈥淚 remember talking about Shakira a lot,鈥 says Laura. 鈥淏ecause who doesn鈥檛 love Shakira?鈥
They also talked about their respective home countries, and Adrian 鈥 only half joking 鈥 told the Americans all the things he didn鈥檛 like about the U.S. But when Liz talked about Chicago, and Laura about her home in Milwaukee, Adrian admitted he鈥檇 always wanted to visit the Midwest and experience a freezing winter鈥檚 day.
鈥淵ou know what, maybe we can do an exchange,鈥 Adrian said. 鈥淵ou guys can host me in the U.S. during winter, and then I鈥檒l host you in Costa Rica in the summer.鈥
Laura laughed.
鈥淭he U.S. in midwinter is not the same as going to a beach town in Costa Rica,鈥 she said. 鈥淏ut if you think it is, that sounds excellent.鈥
As they downed their beers, the group realized they were all booked on the same flight the next day from Cusco to Lima. So when they said their goodbyes, Adrian arranged to reunite with Laura and Liz at the airport the next day.
Then, on the flight to Lima, Adrian and Laura sat together, picking up where they鈥檇 left off the night before.
鈥淲e got to talk more,鈥 says Adrian.
At the airport in Lima, with Adrian about to head back to Costa Rica and Laura and Liz returning to the U.S., they exchanged contact details.
For Laura, randomly seeing Adrian again 鈥渇elt a little prearranged, or a little celestial,鈥 she says. She didn鈥檛 want to miss the moment again.
The beginning of a 鈥榙eep connection鈥
When Adrian got back to Costa Rica, he immediately sent Laura an email, saying how great it was to meet her. The two started sending messages back and forth, then they switched to phone calls.
Adrian stayed in touch with Liz as well, but they didn鈥檛 speak as regularly. And while Adrian and Liz鈥檚 messages were friendly, Adrian and Laura started developing what Laura calls a 鈥渄eep connection.鈥
鈥淚t was really interesting to get to know each other that way, over the phone,鈥 she says. 鈥淎drian and I became closer.鈥
While they spoke regularly, updating one another about their day-to-day lives, thinking about each other often, it wasn鈥檛 obvious what this 鈥渄eep connection鈥 really entailed. An air of romance seemed to be hanging over them, but Laura kept talking herself out of this hypothesis.
鈥淧erhaps we鈥檙e just close friends,鈥 she thought.
Laura and Adrian regularly talked about fulfilling that promise they鈥檇 made in the bar in Agua Calientes 鈥 about Adrian coming to the U.S., and Laura travelling to Costa Rica. They both wanted to make it happen, but Laura says 鈥渁t that time, it still felt very conceptual.鈥
Laura had spent most of her money on the trip to Peru. She didn鈥檛 have any vacation time left. She wasn鈥檛 sure she and Adrian could see each other again any time soon.
鈥淪o it was great to build this friendship,鈥 Laura says. 鈥淏ut we had no idea where it would go.鈥
But then, one day in December 2010, Adrian booked a spontaneous trip to the U.S. He planned to fly into Chicago and visit Liz and Laura over New Year.
When Laura heard the news, she was buzzing with anticipation.
鈥淚 was very excited to see Adrian,鈥 she recalls.
鈥淚 was super excited to see Laura too,鈥 says Adrian.
The two spent the first few days of Adrian鈥檚 trip with Liz in Chicago 鈥 and while Laura and Adrian felt drawn to each other, they remained firmly 鈥渏ust friends.鈥
鈥淚n Chicago, it was still really the three of us,鈥 says Laura. 鈥淚t was only later, when it was just the two of us, that things changed.鈥
Over New Year鈥檚, Liz stayed in Chicago, while Adrian travelled with Laura to her home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In Milwaukee, Adrian was the first to voice his romantic feelings, but it still took him a few days. He wanted to be sure he hadn鈥檛 misread the situation, and jokes he was worried Laura would 鈥渒ick him out on the streets in winter.鈥
When Adrian told her how he felt, Laura was still a 鈥渓ittle surprised,鈥 as she recalls it.
She鈥檇 felt maybe their friendship was 鈥渄estined for more,鈥 but 鈥渨asn鈥檛 really sure how to read it.鈥
鈥淚 was a little confused,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淏ut it was still really fun to be together.鈥
And by the end of Adrian鈥檚 trip, both Adrian and Laura were certain they wanted to see each other again. Laura still wanted to come to Costa Rica, but her lack of vacation days made that tricky, so instead, Adrian returned to the U.S. a few times for long weekends.
鈥淚t was fun,鈥 says Adrian. 鈥淚 love travelling, so it was just fun to go and do some travelling - and then to be with someone so great.鈥
Each trip, Laura and Adrian grew closer, but they hadn鈥檛 really labelled what was happening between them. Their attitude, Adrian says, was 鈥渓et's see how things go, we鈥檒l take it trip by trip.鈥
A visit to Costa Rica
By spring 2011, Laura was working out how she could make a trip to Costa Rica a reality. Liz was keen to go too, but was less enthusiastic about third-wheeling Laura and Adrian. In the end, Liz and Laura persuaded two other friends to come along as well. The party arrived in May 2011, greeted by Adrian and ready to explore.
鈥淚t was really, really fun,鈥 says Laura of this trip. 鈥淎drian was our guide. One of the things about Adrian is, although he works in finance, at his heart he is an outdoorsman, so I think in a parallel life, he would be a guide or a park ranger. That鈥檚 where his soul is. So he had so much fun showing us around Costa Rica.鈥
All of Laura鈥檚 friends had a great time, but for Laura, the experience was particularly special. She loved seeing Adrian in his home country, and seeing everything through his eyes.
鈥淗e loves Costa Rica, he鈥檚 so proud of the country,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd it was really beautiful to see, from his perspective, what a jewel the country is.鈥
Over the trip, Adrian also introduced the group to his friends and family. They immediately welcomed Laura into the fold.
鈥淎drian鈥檚 friends are really amazing. He has his very, very close group of friends. It was so cool to hear their perspective on Adrian and hear all of these stories 鈥 they鈥檝e all known him since childhood,鈥 says Laura.
Adrian says his loved ones were enthusiastic about his potential romance with Laura, even if they weren鈥檛 sure how it would pan out.
鈥淭hey were excited for me,鈥 says Adrian. 鈥淭hey know that I love travelling and adventures. So, they were just thinking that that was just another adventure.鈥
As for Laura鈥檚 friends, while they had a fantastic time in Costa Rica and really liked Adrian, they were convinced the romantic connection between Laura and Adrian had an end date. The long distance seemed insurmountable, and they were worried Laura would end up heartbroken.
鈥淭hey were like, 鈥榊ou are crazy. What is your endgame?鈥 And I was like, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know,鈥欌 recalls Laura. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that they weren鈥檛 supportive. They didn鈥檛 want me to get hurt. They didn鈥檛 want me to be invested in something that just seemed so unlikely to have a long-term outcome.鈥
But Laura wasn鈥檛 swayed by their doubts. Her time in Costa Rica made her more sure of her relationship with Adrian than ever.
鈥淚t felt like Adrian really could see me for who I was,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd I felt so appreciated by that.鈥
Laura鈥檚 parents, who鈥檇 briefly met Adrian during his trip to Milwaukee, joked that if it all worked out, they鈥檇 have a great place to go for future vacations. But they were also a little apprehensive about the impact of long distance.
Laura remembers telling her loved ones: 鈥淵es, I get on paper, this looks crazy. But we really have a strong connection. And he is a really good person. And someone who makes me a good version of myself.鈥
Long-distance relationship
Over the next year or so, Adrian and Laura met up whenever they could. In between visits, they sent long emails and spoke on the phone for hours.
Over the course of these visits, Adrian and Laura became increasingly certain of their future. The decision to get engaged was the obvious next step. Adrian proposed in 2012 at the Observation Tower at the Audubon Nature Center in Milwaukee, looking over Lake Michigan.
In December 2013, the couple threw a weekend-long wedding party in Costa Rica, featuring a bilingual wedding ceremony and a party that concluded in a traditional carnival 鈥 a Costa Rican wedding tradition that turns the last hour or so of the reception into a riotous, colourful celebration.
鈥淵ou have masks and drums, and everyone has fun accessories that they wear,鈥 explains Laura. 鈥淚t was so fun.鈥
The wedding was also a chance for Laura and Adrian鈥檚 loved ones, who lived in different countries and didn鈥檛 often get the chance to see one another, to spend time together. Liz, who鈥檇 remained close to Laura and Adrian, was in Laura鈥檚 wedding party. Adrian took many of the wedding guests on tours around the nearby Manuel Antonio National Park.
After the wedding, Laura moved to Costa Rica. It was both a big decision, and an easy one 鈥 after the long period of long distance, Laura and Adrian were thrilled to be together.
鈥淚t felt so good to be able to, finally, just live in that moment, and feel so much more at peace,鈥 says Laura.
鈥淚t was nice to not have to worry about taking a flight just to see each other,鈥 agrees Adrian.
Laura started working with Adrian at his father鈥檚 insurance company.
鈥淲e worked a lot, but it was really great getting to spend all of that time together,鈥 says Laura.
It was an exciting period, but for Laura, it was also an adjustment, and there were changes to navigate 鈥 she was used to living in a U.S. Midwest city, now she lived in a small town in Costa Rica.
鈥淲hen I thought about what my life would look like, it was never living in a super small town on the edge of a jungle,鈥 says Laura.
But while there were cultural differences to navigate, and a language to perfect, Laura credits Adrian鈥檚 loved ones, particularly his friends, for making her feel at home.
鈥淎drian鈥檚 friends used to get together every Friday night, at a restaurant 鈥 one of them owned a restaurant 鈥 and that it was just such a community,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 could see how much they loved Adrian, and they just immediately made me feel included. And so that was my comfort 鈥 I felt confident that I would be able to find a place there, even if it wasn鈥檛 exactly what I had imagined for myself.鈥
Laura and Adrian lived together for several years in Costa Rica, before they made the decision to move to the U.S. There were a number of reasons why they made this decision 鈥 not least the desire of Adrian, who still fantasized about snowy Midwestern winters, to experience living in a cold climate. They relocated close to Laura鈥檚 family, in Milwaukee.
There were complications along the way 鈥 Adrian had to get a U.S. visa, which took a little while. More long distance followed.
The couple also joke that they did the opposite of what most people do in 鈥渕oving from a beach town in Costa Rica to the Rust Belt of the U.S.鈥
But it was the right decision for them. In Milwaukee, Adrian found plenty of scope for engaging in the outdoorsy activities he loves, often with Laura鈥檚 dad as a companion, as he 鈥渨as always up for adventures and camping and hunting and skiing.鈥
Adventures together
Today, Laura and Adrian still live in Milwaukee, and they now have a three-year-old daughter.
鈥淓ven though we鈥檙e raising her in the U.S., we want her to know and love Costa Rica, not only because that鈥檚 where Adrian鈥檚 family is, but also just because it鈥檚 an amazing country,鈥 says Laura. 鈥淚 want her to feel empowered to be able to go there and be able to feel like she fits in.鈥
They鈥檙e teaching their daughter Spanish as well as English, and they chose a name, explains Adrian, that鈥檚 written and pronounced the same way in both languages.
Laura and Adrian say bringing up a child together has brought them even closer. Their daughter was born in the middle of the pandemic, so the couple had to navigate the early months just the two of them. It wasn鈥檛 an easy period 鈥 Laura was suffering from postpartum depression and COVID regulations meant Adrian鈥檚 family couldn鈥檛 visit from Costa Rica.
鈥淏ut eventually, Adrian鈥檚 family was able to meet our daughter,鈥 says Laura. 鈥淎nd I think that was a really, really special time, because it had just been so long coming.鈥
During those first few years, Laura鈥檚 parents were also an invaluable support and became very close with their granddaughter. Then, in 2023, Laura鈥檚 father was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He passed away earlier in 2024.
鈥淲e were both very close to my dad,鈥 says Laura. 鈥淎drian and my dad bonded immediately over a love of the outdoors, and, I think, a strong work ethic. They had a lot of similar personality traits. And my dad and I had always been very close. And so this last year has been a challenge.鈥
Laura and Adrian navigated the challenges and emotions associated with Laura鈥檚 father鈥檚 illness together. It was important for them to spend lots of time with Laura鈥檚 parents, to cherish moments with Laura鈥檚 father, and for Laura and Adrian鈥檚 daughter to have 鈥渁s many memories with him as possible.鈥
Since Laura鈥檚 father passed away, Laura and Adrian have leaned on and supported one another.
鈥淲e鈥檙e able to rely on each other and talk openly about the grief,鈥 says Laura. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been a good team in supporting each other.鈥
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the main things that I love about Laura,鈥 adds Adrian. 鈥淚 think together we are a good team.鈥
Adrian thinks this sense of teamwork stems from the strong foundations they established at each stage of their relationship 鈥 from their early days as friends, phoning one another from afar; to their period navigating growing a relationship long distance; to Laura鈥檚 years in Costa Rica; to Adrian鈥檚 move to the U.S. to today, raising their daughter together and navigating life鈥檚 ups and downs as a couple.
鈥淚 personally feel lucky that we have had the chance to go through all those phases together,鈥 says Adrian.
Throughout their years together, Adrian and Laura have remained 鈥渙pen to adventures鈥 鈥 both literal 鈥 in 2019, they hiked Kilimanjaro together 鈥 and metaphorical.
鈥淥ur life and our marriage have been an adventure,鈥 is how Adrian puts it.
The couple are looking forward to sharing the stories of these adventures with their daughter once she鈥檚 a little older.
鈥淎nd we would like to go back to Cusco, and show her the place where we met, and just tell her a little more about our story,鈥 says Adrian. 鈥淚 think that it would be super cool if we get the chance to hike with her on the Inca Trail and show her where everything started.鈥
The couple remain good friends with Liz 鈥 in fact they鈥檙e spending this Easter Saturday 2024 with Liz and her family.
Today, Laura marvels that she almost let Adrian walk out of her life after they left Machu Picchu.
鈥淚t just feels like something that could have been so inconsequential, and instead, really changed the course of our histories,鈥 she says of their meeting on the Inca Trail.
鈥淪omething so small that occurred, and then had such a ripple effect over the rest of our lives. It just feels like the luckiest coincidence in the world.鈥
