When your first date happens at the Colosseum in Rome, you'd belive you're relationship is off to a pretty good start. For Clayton and Ashley, that experience would never have been shared if it wasn't for Canadian politics and a study abroad program.
Ashley, a ballet dancer, was given the opportunity to study abroad in Italy while in college. It was tough for her though, because she had accepted a job to dance professionally in Vancouver, and her time in Italy prior to her move to Canada would only compound her mounting stress. Ultimately she decided to go even after her friends backed out of the trip.
She met Clayton, the only male student on the trip, after her arrival in Florence. He was from Florida, and a different college, so they would have had no way of meeting until they found each other in Italy. There was another guy on the trip, who was there to document the school's journey, and he learned that Ashley was moving to Vancouver and quickly engaged her in a discussion about Canadian politics. When Clayton overheard something that wasn't right, he stepped into the conversation to offer some balance.
After that Ashley and Clayton shared an audio tour at the Uffizi gallery and their relationship quickly began to blossom. There was little pressure to impress the other, as neither one was looking for a relationship at the time. So their school mandated excursions and classes served as dates, and gave them an opportunity to get to know each other very quickly.
As their trip came to a close the irony of their geographical predicament came to bear. Though they grew up only a few hundred miles from each other, it took a 5,000 mile trip for them to meet, and they would soon be separated by 3,000 miles due to Ashley's job.
Ultimately through Clayton's persistence the two stayed in touch after Ashley's move. Their marriage was forged in love, with just a little bit of help from geography.
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