From Zurich to Boston
Our Story
DID YOU KNOW?
that Miryam ...
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that Miryam grew up in China and lived there for 10 years. Her parents served God there in a ministry that published three textbooks in Chinese for Chinese Christians who want to study the ancient languages of the Bible
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​that Miryam is half Swiss and half Italian
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that Miryam loved math and science growing up, and ended up studying philosophy and business administration​
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that Miryam is a bookworm who loves to read and write. Miryam loves deep conversations and analyzes a lot, the same reason she decided to study philosophy
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that Miryam spent 10 years of her life wishing to own a dog and learned all the breeds by heart during her teenage years before finally getting one​
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that David ...
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that David likes sailing and often goes out on the Charles River in Boston, preferably during full moons
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that David is half German and half Brazilian and also lived a few years in China during his childhood
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that David has a twin brother and so far, they have managed to pursue pretty much the same path in life​
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that David studies Quantum physics and is pursuing a PhD at MIT
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that David is German, from Munich, but has never had a drop of alcohol​
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TIMELINE
We started dating on the 28th June 2024. However, our story starts a few years before that. David was studying Electrical Engineering at ETH Zurich, and Miryam was studying Philosophy and Business at the University of Zurich. We happened to share a mutual friend who hosted a dinner — and that’s where we met on the 2nd of June 2021. Our very first exchange that evening was actually in Mandarin! Someone had mentioned that we both spoke the language, since we had each spent part of our childhoods in China. One thing led to another, and soon we found ourselves chatting and laughing.
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But things did not kick off straight away, it was not until December 2023 when David had since moved to Boston for his PhD, and Miryam was still in Zurich that David made the move and asked Miryam out for brunch. That's when we started talking regularly, and eventually began dating. The rest is history!
December 2023
- Zurich, Neuchâtel
Our first date, 2.5 years after we initially met. David visited Zurich, mainly to spend Christmas with family. But we managed to meet on two days during his stay in Switzerland.
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For our second date, we went to a chocolate factory. On our way back, we ran into camels in Neuchâtel. They actually kept reappearing throughout our relationship. We're not sure what it means.
February 2024
Zurich -
To show that he was serious about pursuing Miryam, David went back to Zurich for ten days. Believe it or not, we both met each other's parents during this time.
We didn't get together just yet. For now, we focused on building our friendship through regular calls.
June-July 2024
- Boston, New York
After four long months, we finally saw each other in person again. This time, we also got together. We visited New York, watched a baseball game, visited beaches and Museums, and tried a lot of desserts. It was a great summer with lots adventures.
August 2024
Zurich, Munich -
We stacked our visits (Miryam in Boston, then David in Zurich). This way, we actually ended up spending two months together - a long time when you're usually long-distance!
We spent every day together, travelled a lot, and really grew closer together We also went on one of the best hikes either of us has ever been on. Ping us for details!
Miryam's turn to come to Boston! More trips, more fun, but also more growth. We visited Martha's Vineyard for some New England charm, and also started to dig deeper into relationship topics. We started working through a list of 101 tough questions for couples. Really helpful if you're looking to grow your relationship.
October 2024
- Boston, Martha's Vineyard
January 2025
Zurich, Biel/Bienne -
David flies out to Zurich to spend Miryam's birthday with her (January 27). Spending these days with Miryam, David gained clarity that she might be the one. Similarly, some deeper questions were clarified for Miryam, allowing her to get excited about this relationship long-term.
This mutual feeling was the result of lots of conversations (when apart, we would talk on the phone most days for at least an hour). But it was also a result of how peaceful and happy we felt around each other and each other's friends and family.
April 2025
- Zurich, Zermatt, Como
Another time for David to visit Zurich. This time, David and Miryam were both actually writing their Master's theses during the visit. At the same time, we managed to see quite a few extraordinary places, including Zermatt and Como. Talk about multi-tasking (procrastination?).
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In the meantime, David had bought a diamond engagement ring and asked Miryam's parents for her hand in marriage! The only question was when to propose!
In the picture where Miryam's hair got whipped into David's face, he was actually carrying the ring with him and was about to propose. Sadly, the clouds you can see behind the mountains turned out to be a thunderstorm, which really killed the mood.
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So David didn't actually get to proposing until a week later (April 30) in Como, which worked out wonderfully.
We said YES!!
When we got off the ferry in Bellagio on Lake Como, a private van that David had organized came to pick us up. The service was provided by a farm-restaurant at the top of the hill of Bellagio, with a gorgeous view of the lake. After getting to the top, David suggested a quick stroll to a nearby viewpoint.
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As one does, we took some selfies with our phone, and then David casually mentioned he had a tripod to get a better angle. Against all odds, Miryam was still totally unaware she was in the middle of being proposed to. As David sets up the tripod, he starts a video recording on the phone, grabs the ring box from his jacket, and proceeds to ask Miryam the big question.
According to Miryam, David's speech was very sweet but had nothing in common with the one he had written down and practiced beforehand. Guess I was nervous!​​
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In any case, it was a wonderful day, the views were spectacular, the weather was great, and we even had our pictures taken professionally in the afternoon. When we got back to Zurich, there was also a surprise party waiting for Miryam. Our hearts were full, and we were very excited to move toward marriage.
Saying goodbye at the airport was definitely harder than usual this time. But we know we won't be apart for much longer. We can't wait to celebrate our wedding with you!
Miryam's version
I remember being encouraged to talk to David because he also spoke Chinese just like me! Our first conversation definitely had some Chinese in it. I had a great first impression of David: I thought he was very handsome and also thought we shared similar interests, had a common cultural background and faith. However, at the time I did not find myself ready to entertain the possibility of a new relationship, so I refused to meet up and we lost contact. A year later I found myself regretting not having given it a chance. I wondered whether I should reach out to him, but I found out he was in a relationship. So I gave up on the idea, but couldn’t help feeling that I had missed out on someone special.
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In 2023 I found myself in a low spot in life. A few years before, God had placed on my heart that my sister would marry before me, but that soon after I would too. My sister had since married and I found myself reminding God and praying for my man and for my very own family. Months went by and my frustration grew, when finally during one of these prayers I had a strange sense that, just like in the stories of Hannah and Hagar in the bible, God saw and remembered me. I had an expectancy and knew somehow that in the next few days something was going to happen, because I knew God had finally answered my prayer. I had no clue that three days after my prayer, David, completely out of the blue, would decide to reach out to me. It took about 2 dates for me to know that he might just be my future husband! The dating, talks and even doubts and crises that followed, in the end, only assured me of my initial intuition.
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I feel really blessed to have met David! Our time together has been a lot of laughs and great times together, but also somewhat challenging times during our long distance periods. I am so happy that our long distance is finally coming to an end and I am excited to start this new chapter with David in Boston.
David's version
When I first met Miryam, she stood out to me as beautiful and funny and joyful. I remember texting her after the day we met, trying to keep our spark alive, or started (?), but I got the impression she was not all too interested. Eventually, the connection faded away. After 6 months, I tried again. This time, I asked her whether we could go to her church together. Sadly, I ended up going to church alone. That felt pretty final to me.
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Life carried on, and I went through another relationship, moved to Boston, and started my PhD program. I was in my second year in the US when my brother brought up Miryam. He encouraged me to reach out again. While I vividly remembered the qualities that attracted me to Miryam, I also felt she was clearly not very interested in me. I also wasn't sure if I really wanted to be in another long-distance relationship, especially one where you only get to know each other via the distance!
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I thought about it for a few days. I figured that I could deal with the distance. If we were to eventually get married, it would be worth a bit of long-distance. And she really was special. Our backgrounds aligned astonishingly well, and the few interactions we had were fun and memorable. Then, I remembered what could have been the issue the first two times I approached her - I hadn't actually asked her out on a date.
So that's pretty much what I did the third time around. I reached out to her flatmate and asked whether she was single. I was told she might be getting to know someone, but nothing official yet. To me, I could work with those odds. So I message her again, tell her clearly that I live in the US, but that I would still like to take her out on a date! (I was going to spend Christmas in Zurich). And she agreed!
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On our first few dates, things just flowed. In our conversations, one thing after another felt confirmed and felt right. It pretty soon became clear to me that she checked off all the boxes I was looking for in a woman, and I could see marriage material in her.
But obviously, a relationship is so much more than a set of checkboxes. And that's where, at times, it got a little hard. Building a friendship and growing feelings for someone over a distance isn't the easiest. But steadily and surely, she became someone I profoundly love, and a constant source of joy in my life. And enduring through the distance made each visit all the sweeter. When these things became clear on top of what I already knew after our first few dates, I started browsing rings.