When I moved to Canada, I wanted to start a new chapter, build a career, and create a life for myself in a new country.
What I didn’t know was that Canada would also bring me the person I would eventually marry pretty quickly.
My love story with Danilo began at the Courtyard by Marriott in Burlington.
I started working there at the end of October 2022, shortly after arriving in Canada. Danilo joined the team at the end of February 2023.
At the time, we had been looking for a Sous Chef for a while. One day, Chef Peter gave me the number of a candidate who had been recommended by regular hotel guests. I called immediately, and his name was Danilo.
I was curious about where he was from because Danilo is such a familiar name in Serbia and throughout the Balkans.
A couple of days later, I met him at work. My first impressions were his smile and his passion for what he did.
Later, he told me that he noticed something about me too. He used to say that I walked like an angel and that I brought good energy whenever I was around him.
I was the first one to invite him out for coffee.
We went for a walk around downtown Burlington and talked about life and all kinds of random things. It felt so nice. When he hugged me, I felt butterflies.
We continued messaging each other, and eventually we started dating.
Everything felt easy, comfortable, and natural—as if I belonged with him.
Danilo was exactly the kind of man I had always dreamed of, both physically and emotionally. One of the strangest and most beautiful things was realizing that some of the qualities I had written about in my diary seemed to be appearing in real life.
He literally felt like the man from my dreams.
I felt a strong connection with him almost immediately. After three months of dating, he asked me to move in with him.
At that point, neither of us would have made that decision unless we felt completely comfortable, safe, and confident in what we were building. We were both at a stage in life where we knew what we wanted and wouldn’t accept less.
Everything simply seemed to happen naturally.
What made Danilo different was the way he looked at me. There was so much love in his eyes. I could feel it in every look, hug, and kiss. He looked at me as if I were the only woman in the world.
After a very long time of not feeling that way, it felt incredibly good to feel like I was someone’s whole world.
My family also had the chance to get to know him when they spent time in Canada from September 2023 until July 2024. They liked him from the beginning, and now they love him.
He became an important part of our small family. They appreciate his kindness, his respect, and the love he shows me.
And while Serbia is part of who I am, Brazil gradually became part of my life too.
Learning another culture takes time, but with Danilo and his family, everything felt surprisingly warm and natural. I didn’t have to force myself to imagine a future with him. It simply started happening.
We have had ups and downs, like every couple, but we continue to learn from each other, motivate each other, and push each other to become better people.
Then came our trip to Brazil.
I believe that when Danilo realized we would be travelling there together, he quietly started planning a surprise. I would be lying if I said I had never thought about getting engaged, but when it actually happened, it was still a huge surprise.
He proposed at the first beach he had ever visited in Brazil.
We walked along the sand and stood together in front of the ocean. Then he went down on one knee and showed me a rose with the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.
When he asked me the big question, I sobbed for a while.
He eventually looked at me and said, “Are you going to say something?” 😂
Of course, I said yes.
His family had decorated our room, and everything was beautiful. It was a moment I will always remember.
When we returned from Brazil, we immediately started planning our wedding.
And once again, everything happened so naturally.
We received a proposal from the hotel where Danilo still works—and where I also used to work—to have our wedding there.
The same place where our story began would become the place where we celebrate one of the biggest moments of our lives.
Sometimes I think about how unexpected all of this was.
I came to Canada with a one-way ticket and a plan to build a new life.
I didn’t know I would meet someone from Brazil.
I didn’t know his family would become part of my life.
I didn’t know that Serbia, Brazil, and Canada would eventually become connected through our story.
And I certainly didn’t know that the man I met at work would become my husband.
Maybe that’s what Love Between Countries means to me.
It’s not about choosing one country over another.
It’s about carrying pieces of each place with you.
It’s about discovering that home can expand.
It’s about two people bringing their different cultures, families, traditions, and experiences together and creating something that belongs to both of them.
On August 22, we will celebrate the next chapter of our story.
And when I think about the girl who arrived in Canada with a one-way ticket, I wish I could tell her that she didn’t need to know exactly how everything would turn out.
She just needed to take the first step.
Sometimes, life writes a story for you that is even more beautiful than the one you imagined.
Until next time…
See you Over Coffee. ☕🤍
