Life after lockdown: David Gear on chasing love across the globe

David Gear and his wife live in Colombia. Photo / Getty

Some may consider proposing 19 months after meeting someone, enduring almost a year long-distance then moving halfway around the world to marry them, a bit risky. But for David Gear, life is too short for 'what ifs'.

Gear said he didn't want the pandemic to put his life on hold. Photo / Supplied

When did you move to Colombia and why?
I hopped on a jet plane to Colombia in December last year to reunite with my fiancee whom I had not seen in person for 11 months.

I met my (now wife) Marcela in May 2018 in Auckland while she was studying English at the ELA language school on Symonds St. Our first date was an Avengers movie at the iMax on Queen Street (I know, so romantic), half of which she later admitted she didn't understand. In May 2019 she returned to Colombia to spend time with her family and when I came to visit her in December, we got engaged.

David Gear and his wife Marcela during a trip to New York City. Photo / Supplied

The plan was for Marcela to return to New Zealand in the middle of 2020 to study for a postgraduate degree in civil engineering but the pandemic quickly made that impossible.

So, I decided to leave my friends, family and job in Auckland to be with her in Colombia.

We had always planned to get married in Colombia, so it just made sense for me to take the plunge. I wasn't going to let the pandemic put our lives on hold anymore. It was the best decision I've ever made.

Where do you live now?
We live in the capital, Bogota, in the district of Suba. It is the third-largest city in South America with more than 10 million residents in its sprawling metropolitan area.

David Gear and his wife live in Colombia. Photo / Getty

What was long-distance like during the pandemics?
It may sound funny, but the pandemic actually helped our long-distance relationship. It allowed me to spend more time at home, so we could video chat at least a couple of times a day.

Before Covid-19, due to the difference in time zones, I could only quickly talk to Marcela in the morning before I headed off to work.

What was it like organising a wedding in a pandemic?
Thankfully, my lovely wife did 99.5 per cent of all the work and she hired a great wedding planner to help us.

However, the week of our nuptials in late January, Bogota went into lockdown and a curfew was enacted. So we had to move the ceremony from 4:30 pm Colombian time (10.30 am in NZ) to 2pm (9am NZ) to make sure everyone attending could be home before 9 pm.

We were allowed a maximum of 30 guests and a couple couldn't make it due to contracting Covid-19. Even with all the challenges, it was a great day that we will never forget.

David Gear and his wife Marcela on their wedding day in Colombia. Photo / Supplied

How did it feel leaving New Zealand and moving across the world?
It's hard to explain but it just felt right. I was nervous about travelling during a pandemic, but my biggest worry was getting stuck in Los Angeles or Panama City on my way to Colombia.

Of course, leaving my friends and family was hard but the idea of starting a new life with my future wife in another country was very exciting. It's a cliche, but life really is too short for ifs, buts and maybes.

What's a piece of advice you'd give a couple living in different cities?
I know it depends on which countries they happen to be in but try to have a plan to reunite. Having a plan to work towards helps distract you from the fact you are not together and provides hope that you will see them soon.

What do you love most about your new city?
Well, not the traffic. It's insane, just imagine the worst traffic jam in Auckland and times it by 100.

I love the friendly people, the dogs (everyone has at least two) and there are so many parks to explore. The selection of fruit is out of this world, you should see the size of the avocados here and they're so cheap.

If someone was to visit, what's something local they must do?
Monserrate is a mountain that overlooks the city of Bogota. At its peak lies a historic 17th-century church, tourist shops, a restaurant and you can explore the inside of the church.

But it's the view that steals the show. Visitors can either walk up a steep paved track or via cable car and you get a stunning panoramic view.

Monserrate is 3125m above sea level so when you reach the top you are only 500 or so metres below the peak of Mount Cook.

What pandemic regulations are still in place?
I have worn a mask every day since I arrived in December last year. Outside of everyone (kids aged 2+) having to wear a mask everywhere in public, Colombia is fully open for business.

How was your recent holiday to New York?
To visit popular tourist attractions such as the Empire State Building and Natural History Museum you needed to show proof of being vaccinated. No vaccination card, no entry, we saw this rule enforced strictly.

My wife absolutely loved it after seeing the city on so many different TV shows and movies. It was brilliant to see her smile when she recognised different places, I've been twice before but it always blows me away.

Gear and his wife Marcela during a trip to New York City. Photo / Supplied

Do you miss anything about New Zealand?
Aside from family, friends and being fluent in the local language, I miss the things you can't get here like Whittaker's chocolate, fish 'n' chips and Jimmy's mince and cheese pies (Southerners know what I'm talking about).

Do you know a Kiwi living overseas who would like to share their experiences of life after lockdown? Email travel@nzherald.co.nz with Life After Lockdown in the subject line.