Charles Esther
When I began my journey as a digital nomad nearly four years ago, I never imagined that love would find me on the road.
I had promised myself that I would enjoy casual dates and meet people along the way, but I firmly believed a long-term relationship wasn’t possible.
The nature of full-time travel — moving from city to city every month or two — made it difficult to form meaningful connections.
As a freelance writer with the freedom to explore the world, I couldn’t bear the thought of giving up my lifestyle for love.
But everything changed in Argentina.
I Met My Partner Unexpectedly in Argentina
In early 2023, I found myself back in Argentina — a country that holds a special place in my heart.
While in Buenos Aires, I received a message on Grindr, a dating app mostly known for hookups.
Still, I kept my profile active in case I stumbled upon something more.
The message came from a guy named Lauti.
We started chatting, and the connection felt different.
He invited me on a date, but unfortunately, I was flying to another city the next morning.
We promised to meet in six weeks when I returned to the capital.
When I finally came back, we went on our first date — and everything clicked.
We spent the next three weeks together, inseparable and caught in a whirlwind of romance.
I was then scheduled to fly to Mexico, and we both knew the reality — this probably wouldn’t go anywhere.
Still, we decided to keep talking and see where things went, without putting a label on it.
Our Love Grew Across Continents
Our daily conversations continued long after I left Argentina.
Even with five- to six-hour time differences while I travelled through Europe, we always made time for video calls and deep chats.
Month by month, our connection deepened.
Without realizing it, we had become a long-distance couple.
In January 2024 — eight months after we met — I returned to Argentina.
That’s when we finally acknowledged our feelings and started calling each other partners.
A few weeks later, he told me he loved me.
Another goodbye followed in April as I left for Peru, but this time, it was short.
He visited me in May for his birthday.
Later that year, we spent seven long months apart while I explored Europe, Asia, and Australia.
In December, he visited Colombia and we spent our first holiday season together.
It was everything we hoped it would be.
I returned to Argentina at the end of January 2025, and we’ve lived together for four months now.
Making an Unconventional Relationship Work
Our time apart is becoming shorter.
In a few weeks, I’ll leave again — but only for three months.
This journey hasn’t been easy.
In the beginning, we were still getting to know each other, so communication was hard.
Later, we had to wrestle with the uncertainty of when we’d be together next.
Even now, I don’t always know where I’ll be living months ahead.
But we’ve learned to embrace the unpredictability.
We ask ourselves tough questions every day.
How can we support each other from different continents?
How do we manage our cultural differences?
How can we grow as individuals and as a couple at the same time?
There are no simple answers.
Some parts of our relationship have moved quickly — like living together.
Others have taken longer due to distance.
But we’ve created a version of love that fits us.
We prioritise each other even when we’re apart, and we dream together about our future.
Love and Freedom Can Coexist
I used to believe a relationship and a nomadic life couldn’t coexist.
I thought I had to pick one or the other.
But now I understand that I can have both.
I can keep exploring every corner of the world while nurturing a deep, committed relationship.
It’s not easy.
It takes effort, communication, and patience.
But for us, it’s worth it.
There’s no such thing as a perfect relationship — only one that works for the people in it.
And we’ve found a way to make ours work, even across oceans.
