Those Crazy Kids!

New Yorkers Matt Robertson (31) and Khani Le (29) met on the dating app Hinge, hit it off, and decided to have their third date in Costa Rica. They anticipated their trip would last for five days – but are now into their 75th day – yet technically still only on their third date.

The couple took advantage in early March of the airlines’ reduced ticket prices, not aware of the impending COVID-19 pandemic that was descending upon the world. Now they are having trouble getting home. Robertson explained, “We’ve been trying to fly out with Delta, and then we tried another airline the other day. We booked another flight that we’re hoping will go out within the next week. But we don’t know if it’s going to happen. Every single flight so far has been canceled.”

Robertson and Le flew out on March 17th, just as non-essential services were beginning to close down. “The airlines told us we’d be just fine”, said Le, “I didn’t tell anyone. I told my Mom just as we were boarding; my Dad still doesn’t know about Matt.”
The idea came to the couple after their third date, said Robertson, “Our first two dates went really well … we were feeling adventurous. It started out as a joke and then I escalated it and bought two roundtrip tickets to Costa Rica.”

The vacation began with the quintessential ziplining experience and continued with other touristy, exciting adventures. They were having fun, Robertson said, they felt “badass for going on a third date together in another country.” But then the reality dawned on them that they were trapped in Costa Rica. The borders were closed, and flights were all cancelled. (They were informed of the repatriation flights via United by their hotel).

The couple at first occupied themselves with short day trips, and fun classes in the evening like ceviche-making and cocktail invention. They heard President Trump on the hotel television say that the virus was “not that big of a deal, something like a bad flu.” But with each passing day, they began to notice fewer people in the hotel, until they were almost the only guests left. The hotel notified them that the US State Department had declared a level-four advisory, encouraging all Americans to return to the US. When they awoke the next day, their flight had been cancelled.

Robertson described how they have been occupying their time, “Flights kept getting cancelled and we just drove around the country finding affordable hotels and Airbnbs. Most don’t have air conditioning … there’s been lots of bugs and cockroaches, snakes and raccoons, and we’ve been freaking out.”

How have they been getting along? Le said, “I don’t think we really had expectations about what it would be like. I feel like we are both similar in the fact that that we kind of go with the flow. I feel that we have a similar approach to dating …. So far I’m very much going with the flow, and the flow’s been good.”

Robertson commented, “I didn’t think I would ever survive this long with one person. It’s the longest I’ve ever spent nonstop with one person. This is like the equivalent of dating in dog years.”

Robertson and Le say the expression “Pura Vida” has become their motto, and they plan to have it tattooed on themselves prior to returning home – which they hope will be very soon.

Matt and Khani if your reading this we recommend Amunet Tattoo and Piercing Studio in Santa Ana San Jose  for your “Pura Vida” keep sakes. It’s by far the best Tattoo studio in Costa Rica.

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