Social networks have allowed people to connect with others, regardless of distance and geographical barriers. Technology has facilitated the exchange of cultures, knowledge and information.n. So, it was like Jordan Hauenschild and Pitiruk they first met.
The 26-year-old Australian shared her love story with a 24-year-old Ecuadorian through a TikTok video. They talked for almost four months straight, until they decided to move their virtual relationship to the physical world. and the woman met her real-life ‘Tarzan’. Her videos on the social network have accumulated more than five million views since their publication.
“Would I cross the world for a stranger?”, is what the young woman asks when starting her video. Hauenschild said that she found Pitiruk’s profile one day like any other while browsing Instagram. She decided to send him a message to learn more about her culture and lifestyle and, to her surprise, he replied.
“I couldn’t believe that someone who was trained in the Amazon jungle, in that piece of exotic land, responded to me. For a girl who lives a western life on the Queensland coast, who always goes to the beach, who lives in a house, talking to someone from the Amazon who lives in a cabin, it was so surreal,” she said in an interview with the media. local ‘news.com.au’.
Over time They exchanged messages over video calls to be able to show their surroundings and what their lives were like on the other side of the world. They talked about what they did in the day, what they ate and how they lived in their respective corners of the planet. “We started chatting so much that the topic of the meeting came up,” said the Australian.
After four months, in March 2024, his plans began to come true. The young woman quit her job and planned a trip to South America. Her itinerary included stops in Peru, Argentina, Brazil and, of course, Ecuador. “To fly from my city to my final destination in South America, it took more than 30 hours of travel and four flights,” she confessed about the journey.
Once in Ecuador he had to travel five hours by bus to get from Quito to Guayusa Runethe community of Pitiruk, in Puyo.
The wait was worth it when they saw each other in person. Hauenschild said that The moment was magical and he spent two weeks learning about Ecuadorian culture. “Unexpectedly, for both of us, we developed an undeniable connection,” he narrated in the video while showing images with his ‘Tarzan’.
“I just couldn’t believe it was real. It was my first time in Ecuador and I just wanted to make sure I was really respectful, but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face,” she told the local media.
He left for the other countries on his itinerary, but ended up I extend your trip two additional weeks to be able to return to Ecuador and spend more time with the young man. Finally, his vacation was over and Jordan had to return to Australia to sort out his finances and look at planning a life together.
“Every moment was magical and our goal is to be together again as soon as possible,” he said. For now, memories of him motivate them. The story went viral until The Australian travel agency Flight Center offered to finance the young woman’s next trip to Ecuador.
Now, you only need money for other costs, such as transportation, food and household care during your stay. Therefore, launched a fundraising campaign on ‘GoFundMe’ in order to raise money for the possible three months he would spend in Ecuador.
More news in EL TIEMPO
SOFÍA ARIAS MARTINEZ
DIGITAL SCOPE EDITORIAL
TIME
