Vacation romance speaks of contact - but she believes it never seeing him again

Vacation romance speaks of contact - but she believes it never seeing him again

When Shylo Malcolm's week ended in Cuba, she thought that her vacation romance was also over. Not that she wanted that - on the contrary. However, Shylo believed that all vacation flirts have an obvious end date. "I didn't want to have any hopes," says Shylo today cnn travel .

The unexpected connection

The French Yann Dervaux was very interested in exchanging contact information. "We will stay in touch," he said. "Yes, sure," thought Shylo skeptically. She returned to her life in Ontario, Canada, while Yann returned to his home near Lille, France. Over 5,600 kilometers would soon be between them. Nevertheless, Shylo didn't feel sad when entering her aircraft; Instead, she felt a tingling of the excitement. "I had such a great week, and maybe we wouldn't see each other anymore, the future was uncertain," recalls Shylo. "But I was in Cuba, had the best vacation, had fun with my friends and met him ..."

The encounter in Cuba

Shylos trip to Cuba fell together with her 27th birthday in summer 2016. When she imagined how she turned 27, she saw herself relaxed on the beach with a drink in her hand, the warm sun rays on her skin. She persuaded two of her oldest and best friends to travel with her and promised them a week full of beaches and cocktails. The trio chose a resort in the coastal town of Varadero, known for its sandy beaches and lively bars. "We were ready to celebrate," recalls Shylo.

But when she arrived in her hotel on a junin night, Shylo had to swallow her disappointment. Nothing seemed open, and there was no one in sight - definitely not the party atmosphere that she had expected. However, when they strolled through the resort, Shylo and her friends found the only bar in which it was still vivid.

an unexpected flirt

"We just started talking," recalls Shylo. A few of the men were Germans - the German team played that evening. While the German men chatted happily with Shylo and their group, they continued to look at the game. But a man stood out: Yann, a 29-year-old technology expert who was less interested in football. When he mentioned that he was a Frenchman, Shylo was interested - she had always dreamed of Paris. Fortunately, they all spoke fluent from French because their school had a French builder program where some of the classes were taught in French.

The departure in a romance

"My friends and I were thrilled to practice our French again because we hadn't used it for years," recalls Shylo. "We immediately had a good time." While they laughed and chatted together, Shylo did not immediately notice that Yann could be more than just friendly. But Yann fell in love with Shylo at first glance. "I remember I looked at Shylo and she was beautiful," he says today.

further round drinks followed. The football game ended and the German boys went. But Yann, Shylo and her friends were still in a party mood. They went to the sea late at night. "We stood on the beach lounger until the early hours of the morning. I even don't know how late it was. We just had fun," says Shylo.

as Shylos girlfriends suggested a nightly bath in the sea, she was indecisive. Yann noticed her skepticism and offered to carry her into the water on his back. "Come on, I'll take you on my back," he said with a smile. Something about Yann's presence and self -confidence of several fruity cocktails intoxicated Shylo - she agreed and jumped on his back.

The development of your relationship

While she finally waded into the water, Yann, Shylo began to whisper "Sweet Lusters" in the ear and said she was "Très Belle". Shylo was flattered and let himself be carried away by the moment, but deep inside it was skeptical. Over time, however, it turned out that they spent more time together. At the end of the week, Shylo found that she and Yann shared a special connection.

"There was a chemistry between us," says Shylo. "We enjoyed the society of the other and always looked for ourselves in the evening." The support of her friends was also valuable for Shylo. Although her concerns grew, the group assured her that they should enjoy the time as long as they were in Cuba.

The challenges of distance

After Shylos Vacation in Cuba, she and Yann stayed in contact, which was surprisingly easy. "We chatted every day, sent pictures, lots of pictures," says Shylo. Her conversation was first in French and quickly in a mixture of "broken French and broken English".

The idea of visiting Yann and seeing Paris came during a video call. She wondered: "Why not?" When mentioning this idea, Yann was immediately enthusiastic and encouraged her to book the trip. At the end of August 2016, Shylo ended up in Amsterdam, ready to see Yann again.

the common future

The time they spent in Europe brought them closer together. After a few years of travel and visits, the longing for something permanent. After incoming discussions about their future in recent years, they have been more than ready to secure a future together. In early 2023, Yann Shylo made a marriage proposal and her family was on site, which made the moment even more exciting.

"We didn't want to plan at short notice; we just decided to get married because we have been a few for 7 years," says Shylo. Her dream wedding took place in Spring 2023 in Canada.

enjoy

Today, Shylo and Yann enjoy life after their wedding and are still traveling, holding their adventures in Shylos Blog. "We travel really well," says Shylo. "The fact that he loves traveling as much as I do is fantastic. He is my favorite travel companion."

It seems fitting that they met and fell in love on vacation. "It was probably fate," thinks Shylo and is looking forward to everything that will bring her future together.