Before the coronavirus pandemic, two New Yorkers, Matt Robertson and Khani Lee, were just beginning to get to know one another. They had been on a couple of dates and had planned a long weekend getaway in Costa Rica, but due to COVID-19, they became stranded there.
They used the opportunity to grow closer, according to the New York Post.
Today, Sunday, May 31, marks day 76, of the New Yorkers stranded in a Costa Rican paradise.
Matt (31) and Khani (29) went to Costa Rica for their third date on March 17. During the first three days of their Costa Rica vacation, They were having the time of their lives, enjoying the tourist attractions, soaking up the sun, and taking tours.
On March 18, Costa Rica announced measures to restrict travel. Their return flight was canceled — and pushed back to July 2. The couple was faced with the decision to stay or return to the United States through a government-sponsored flight to Texas, but decided the US$3,000-per-ticket price wasn’t worth it.
More: Tourist Ban Extended To June 30
Matt admitted that things started out very scary. They barely knew each other and were in new surroundings with no idea when the pandemic would end.
“There were definitely a couple of moments where I was overwhelmed. You go from everything being normal to, all of a sudden, living with someone you barely know, in a foreign country during a pandemic. It’s a lot to happen in a short amount of time,” he recalled.
Finding a place to stay was an immediate challenge. They decided they would camp out in the jungle. As the days passed, they began to get to know one another better as they overcame obstacles together and took on the challenge of living in extremely unprecedented circumstances. Before long, Matt found himself glad that he would be getting all this extra alone time with Khani
“There was a part of me that was excited to stay here longer with Khani. I was thinking this is a blessing in disguise,” he recalled. Le was also excited to be spending time with Robertson, especially as she learned about his many positive qualities as a partner.
“Looks like we might be coming home next week‼ (well not home but back to the states at least. If all goes well we’ll be flying to Texas…it’s been an amazing adventure in this beautiful country and we are so thankful to all the wonderful people that helped us during our super extended stay here! It’s been quite the quarantine!” wrote Matt on Instagram.
The new couple are booked to fly to the US later this week, but what may be the longest 3rd date in history isn’t over just yet. The couple said they intend to continue their relationship when they return to the United States.
After flying into Houston they’ll catch a connecting to either Seattle or Matt’s native Maine and road-trip to the Big Apple.
“I definitely feel lucky we got stuck here together. We’re excited to see where this leads after we return home,” Matt said.
The couple could have gone back to the US in any flight. Costa Rica’s border is not closed. Limited, but there are still flights going back. The U.S. can’t deny entry to U.S. citizens.
