Raise your hand if you’ve ever used Tinder. *guilty!*
I have used the infamous dating app while in the United States and also abroad in Spain. The app is addictive, swiping life and right for people that pique your interest and others that are way too creepy. What’s always intrigued me is a Tinder success story, about a couple that met and made it work! Linsey and Josh’s story starts there and takes them all over the world, but most recently to Japan! That’s the world of baseball and love, I suppose!
Since submitting their story, Linsey and Josh were dealing with long-distance, with her in the United States and him in Australia. They’ve just recently emailed to let me know that they’ve moved to Japan together, for Josh’s baseball career and Linsey is jumping into the realm of being a location independent, digital nomad! They’ll be in Japan for now, until they decide to go somewhere else! Their answers reflect when they were in a long-distance relationship. I can’t wait for y’all to read this sweet love story!
The Quirky Pineapple: Tell me your story! Where did you both meet, who made the first move, how did it come about?
Linsey: We matched on Tinder (hey success has to exist sometimes!) the day I arrived back from 3 months in Switzerland. I hadn’t even thought about turning off my profile. He saw all my recent travel pictures and obviously had a clever pick-up line, something like “Are you the coolest girl on Tinder? I think so!” We went on our first date to an arcade bar in town; he made fun of my terrible hand/eye coordination and we bonded over a love for good beer and food truck tacos. That summer was his first season playing for a local baseball team, and they play nearly every day of the summer. We didn’t really pursue much more than something casual, since at the end of the summer he would be going back to Australia, but fate had other ideas I guess. He convinced me to apply for an internship working for his Australian baseball team to complete my Masters program, and after arriving in Adelaide as ‘just friends’ it didn’t take long for that to change. Since then, we have had stints apart and together, the reality of both international and baseball relationships.
Josh: We met just like many 20 something’s do these days… on tinder. I think I made the first move (sent the first message).
TQP: Where are you living now? If it’s not both of your home countries, why there? What do you like about it?
L: I live in Missouri, USA. He is currently in Melbourne, Australia – but he is from Adelaide, South Australia. He plays baseball year-round, so he is playing there, with a contract signed to come back to Missouri in May 2017. But, in baseball, even contracts aren’t guaranteed!
J: I’m currently living back home in Australia for the summer. I have been lucky enough to be able to avoid winter for the last few years now, so it’s always nice to come home for a few months.
TQP: What languages do you both speak?
L: English! But he definitely throws me off with Aussie Slang, often!
J: Unfortunately just English.
TQP: What are your nationalities? What are your ethnic backgrounds?
L: I am mid-western American through and through, even a bit of American-Indian in my blood. He is full-on South Australian, with the proper British-English to go along with it. I always forget what nationality he comes from, but his sweet Grandma is very much NOT Australian 🙂
J: I am Australian with a Croatian, Ukrainian and Russian ground.
TQP: What is the most frustrating thing, or has been the most frustrating thing about being in an international, intercultural relationship?
L: People taking it seriously. My family seems to still refer to Josh as my friend. Many people have trouble wrapping their heads around the possibility of something so ‘uncomfortable’ actually being real.
J: I’d say the time difference is pretty annoying. We only have a small window of time to be able to communicate. Only being able to communicate via text and FaceTime and such is quite frustrating also. There are times when a simple kiss or long hug would solve almost any issue so it is sometimes hard to replicate that feeling.
TQP: What was or is one thing about your partner’s culture that was the hardest to get used to?
L: Australia and America are quite similar. It was annoying how many people asked me about Gun-Laws and Donald Trump (over a year before the election).
J: Luckily she is a pretty levelheaded American. We see eye to eye on a lot of things. There also aren’t too many cultural differences we have to deal with.
TQP: What is the one thing about your partner’s culture that you love the most?
L: Again, rather similar. I enjoyed little things his family did – like fish fry’s and wood-fire pizza parties!
J: The love for sports
TQP: Where do you both plan on living in the future?
L: The beauty of baseball… his career could continue a while, or end at any time, so there isn’t much planning involved more than 6 months in advance! He would love to play in Europe or Asia somewhere, and I have told him I would come along and teach English or be a bartender/nanny wherever. Any excuse to see/live in yet another country. He knows that I have a strong desire to see more of the world, nothing is keeping me in Missouri. I am bad at staying put, but I would like to say I see myself settling down in Australia someday, but I would rather travel around a lot for a long time before.
J: Japan, Australia, America, Europe, any island anywhere warm haha
TQP: Do you have any suggestions or advice for people who find themselves in an international, intercultural relationship?
L: You must communicate, like way more than a normal relationship. And you must be on the same page. You can’t just brush disagreements off, because many of these things determine what your future looks like. Also, in my situation, don’t focus on “closing the distance”, it’ll happen if you’re right for each other, but putting a time-line and pressure on it can mess a lot up.
J: It should be easy. If you both want it, if you’re both open and supportive… it will be easy. Distance is temporary. Finding someone who feels and wants to see and experience as much as they possibly can with you… that’s worth the wait and distance.
TQP: Extra question! This one is a bit more personal, but, can you explain (or try to explain) that feeling, love, between you two and why it’s so strong, why it works, and how being in this type of relationship makes you stronger as a couple?
Thank you so much, Linsey and Josh, for sharing your love story! Long distance relationships are always complicated, especially when it seems like your significant other is so far away from you! I loved both of your sentiments about the feeling of love you both have. A Tinder success story is usually really rare, but you’ve both made it work! I am so excited for you both, and your next adventure together in Japan!! Also, Linsey, I deeply admire your courage to dive straight into the realm of being a digital nomad as well as following your heart. You’ve inspired me in my own life to be a little braver and trust my gut a little more! Want to follow Linsey and Josh’s story as they set up a life in Japan? Check out Linsey’s Instagram page, her Virtual Assistant work, and Josh’s Instagram page.
The International Couples Series was created to inspire and highlight some of the challenges and funny moments of being in an international relationship. My hope is to inspire those who are in these relationships, that if the relationship is healthy, it can really be worth all of the paperwork and visa headache! Thank you, again, Josh and Linsey, for sharing your story! If you’re in an international, intercultural and/or multi-language relationship and would like to be featured on The Quirky Pineapple, please contact me so we can set up an interview and you can share your love story! (:
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