The suitcases of love

On the Christmas Eve of 2013, when Simona looked at Monder, who was sitting next to a Christmas tree in her house in Sicily, and was opening his presents with the enthusiasm of a little kid, she set herself another goal in life. This was the first time he celebrated Christmas. And it was the first time they celebrated Christmas together. This new goal that Simona set in her mind at this very moment, that would stay engraved in her memory forever, had started to bud already some time ago.

Simona packed her suitcases to head off to Málaga on 1st October 2012. She arrived as a student filled with excitement, ready to discover unknown lands. Not even in her wildest dreams could she imagine that love was waiting for her there. The day it found her, she was in a bar in the downtown of Málaga, at language exchange evening with her friend. Monder was in a bad mood that day and the only thing he wanted was for the day to end as soon as possible. But then a friend called him "Do you want to go to a language exchange event tonight?" It had been a long time since they had last seen each other and they had hardly been in touch, but it was as if on this night of 7th March Monder was meant to walk through the door of this Irish pub. "OK, see you in Constitution Square."

"When we entered the bar we ran into a mutual friend, and next to her, there was a petite beauty with an innocent face", he recalls. That's when it all started. He knew what he had to do, it could not be any other way, this story could not have a different ending: "I had to conquer her heart, no matter what." In the following weeks, Monder made up many excuses just to see her. A cup of tea in the downtown? A beer in the evening? A walk on the beach? He took advantage of any opportunity he got. But soon there was more than just pretexts, as Monder was building a road that could take Simona to only one destination: love. He was looking for new places where he could take her, and they were talking at all hours and dancing like nothing else mattered. This whole process was spectacular for Simona. "It was something beautiful, intense and infinite", she recalls. "He never stopped making me fall in love with him."

With a lot of happiness, Monder recalls the night when he realized that Simona would become his girlfriend. They were out with some friends and everyone was on the dance floor. He was dancing with her, brought close together by the narrowness of the bar. Both of them were still a little indecisive, exchanging glances loaded with smiles. But nothing more. Until one friend pushed him from behind and shouted: "Come on, man, kiss her already!" That night, she had left the bar a bit earlier. Monder was walking home with his friend in the empty streets. Suddenly, his phone rang. He finished the call and hung up. "She called me, man! She wants to see me!" In the blink of an eye, he disappeared, running and jumping like a happy kid along the dark street.

But Simona was an Erasmus student, so it was inevitable that the day of her returning to Sicily would arrive. She had extended her stay to 11 months, but September 2013 was the date she had to go back home. Monder saw that her departure approached, and he could hardly bear the thought of that. He knew his destiny was to be next to her, and being far from her was something he couldn't even imagine. So he reached the logical conclusion: he too would pack his suitcase and go to Italy. Even though he had doubts, fears, and insecurities, he managed to overcome everything. "There was nothing more important than being with her." When he told Simona about his plan, she thought he was crazy. "A fool in love, of course".

Sane or insane, Monder left Malaga to be with her. He didn't find it difficult to get used to his new home. Simona's friends treated him like one of their own since the very first day, and he enjoyed experiencing all the new things. "Even though it's a different country, if you realize that we are all human beings, and you have a positive attitude, the whole world is your home." Monder's positive way of thinking is what most impresses Simona. For her, he is special. "If only all of us could live with such intensity." For him, she is unique. "She is a girl full of joy, always trying to see the bright side of things."

Now this special Spaniard and this unique Italian girl enjoy their love, hand in hand in the streets of Sicily. They have no regrets. They see their relationship as something beautiful. "Love doesn't care about borders," they say. And this way, they are planning their life together: in the future, they wish to travel around the world accompanied by their future baby. And their dream is to simply continue to be this happy. As happy or ever happier than on that Christmas Eve when Simona saw Monder sitting next to the Christmas tree, opening his presents, which were as numerous as the Christmas Eves that he hadn't celebrated before meeting her, and when she set herself another goal in life: to see him this happy for the rest of his days.