JACQUELIN
& JIRI

Jacquelin and Jiri had known of each other for a while, crossing paths through mutual friends but never really getting the chance to talk. Their story didn’t begin with love at first sight, but instead with a gradual friendship that would later grow into something much deeper.

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One day, Jiri was at the Mission Valley Target when he spotted Jacquelin from across the store. He recognized her immediately but, feeling nervous, he chose not to say hello. Instead, he quietly paid for his things and left. It wasn’t long before Jiri confidently reached out—that same night, actually. What began as a simple, friendly conversation quickly turned into weeks of messaging back and forth, with both of them getting to know each other in an easy, unforced way.

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At one point, Jiri told Jacquelin he’d be in Los Angeles soon and casually suggested they visit the Getty Museum together. What Jacquelin didn’t know at the time was that Jiri wasn’t actually planning to be in Los Angeles—he made up the whole story just so he’d have an excuse to meet up with her and get to know her better. She agreed to go, thinking it would just be as friends—or so she thought.

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That day at the Getty, something shifted. For Jacquelin, it was the first time she felt there could be something more between them. But she kept those feelings to herself, unsure if she was ready for a relationship at the time. As their friendship grew in the weeks and months that followed, Jiri had no idea that Jacquelin had already felt the first spark of something deeper during that visit. She later confessed this to him, but at the time, she chose to focus on building their connection without expressing those feelings.

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For Jiri, the connection he felt at the Getty was undeniable, though he couldn’t fully explain it at the time. It was as if there was something deeper pulling him toward her. There was something about Jacquelin’s eyes—a depth and strength that he found magnetic. He didn’t realize it then, but that feeling would grow into a belief that their connection was rooted in something more.

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Shortly after they met, they discovered they shared a curious connection: both were half Guatemalan. Jacquelin’s mother was from Jutiapa, and Jiri’s mother was from Retalhuleu. Jiri often reflects on how their similar backgrounds might have drawn them together in a way neither of them could fully understand. For Jiri, their shared heritage felt like a thread that tied their connection to something greater.

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For a while, Jacquelin and Jiri lived in different cities. Jiri was in San Diego, while Jacquelin was in Los Angeles. On weekends, Jiri would make the drive up to see her, and Jacquelin would come down to visit him. They valued the time they could spend together, but being apart also helped their bond grow in unexpected ways.

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During this time, Jiri introduced Jacquelin to a card game called We’re Not Really Strangers—a deck of thought-provoking questions designed to create deeper connections. They played the game regularly, which allowed them to explore each other’s hearts and minds with incredible honesty. They spent hours playing, revealing their dreams, values, and vulnerabilities. With every card, their connection grew deeper, and it became clear that what they had was special.

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Even so, their relationship wasn’t without challenges. They decided to take a short break, and during that time, Jiri moved to Oakland. Despite the new distance, they couldn’t stay apart for long. They reconnected and managed the space between Oakland and Los Angeles with dedication and care. They traveled back and forth to see each other, and their long hours of phone calls—with earbuds in and voices filling the miles between them—became a constant. Those conversations only strengthened their bond, proving how much they valued one another and showing them that they could navigate hard circumstances together.

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Even as their relationship deepened, Jacquelin hesitated to label it. She wasn’t one for definitions, but their connection spoke for itself. Over time, what began as a friendship evolved into love. Jiri later confessed that he had known within two months of spending time with her he wanted to marry her. Still, he chose to give their relationship the space and time to grow, wanting to honor their journey and ensure it was right for both of them.

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A couple of years later, Jiri decided it was time to ask Jacquelin to marry him. In a full-circle moment, he proposed on a hill overlooking the Getty Museum, the place where everything began. What he didn’t plan for was the weather—it was rainy, cloudy, and the Getty was hidden beneath a thick layer of mist. But as they stood there in the rain, soaked, laughing and crying (mostly just Jiri), he asked Jacquelin to marry him. She said yes.

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And the rest is history.