I have a history of numerous failed relationships and endless dates from dating apps. You know, the swipe-left, swipe-right, “maybe this time?” kind of thing. I was starting to wonder if a real connection even existed online or offline.
Then I came across this one humble profile. It wasn’t a guy hiding behind sunnies, showing his abs in every photo or holding up a massive fish. Instead, his photos were simple, genuine, and his bio made me laugh.
From the very first conversation, there was an ease between us. No overthinking, no forced banter, just genuine curiosity and laughter. When it came time to plan our first date, we skipped the standard dinner-and-drinks routine and did something a little different. We booked an escape room.
It was meant to be fun (and it was), but it also turned out to be surprisingly revealing. An escape room shows you a lot about a person: how they communicate, how they handle pressure, and if they’re willing to lean into the theme and enjoy the moment. From the minute the clock started ticking, we were completely in sync. We worked as a team, laughed through the chaos, got fully into character, and escaped with time to spare. Something clicked that day.
After that first date, we saw each other almost every day. There was no game-playing, no guessing where we stood, no emotional push and pull. Everything just fell easily into place. You know when people say, “When you know, you know”, this was that. We both knew we’d found what we’d been searching for all along.
Escape rooms became little markers of our relationship, then came one very special escape room.
I didn’t know it at the time, but an arrangement had been made for the final clue to be different. As we pieced together the last puzzle, the answer spelt out the words: Will you marry me? I turned around, and there he was, down on one knee, asking me to spend my life with him.
Diana and Damien on their Proposal Escape Room adventure. Picture credits: Diana
Our love story had come full circle. I said yes.
Within a year of meeting, we had eloped and we were expecting our son. It sounds fast when you put it on paper, but it never felt rushed. It felt right. Four years later, we’re still here, partners in every sense, with a healthy, happy relationship built on friendship, communication, laughter, and trust.
Ours isn’t a fairytale that happened overnight. It’s a real love story, one that grew naturally, surprised us both, and continues to evolve. Proof that true love still exists, sometimes in unexpected places, even behind a locked door, racing against the clock, solving clues together.
I escaped the room and then finally stopped trying to escape anything else.