Love Unexpected: A true-life romance about a woman who took her dream trip and found unexpected love

Before you can fully understand our story…

you need to understand his.

In this bonus episode, Tom sits down with Willy/Wiesiek to uncover the story behind the man I met on that tour.

From growing up in a Soviet and post-Soviet world…
to his deep connection to music…
and a life-altering battle with cancer…

his journey was already unfolding in ways I knew nothing about.

He shares how he ended up on that first tour, the unexpected moments that shaped him, and even the story behind the name “Willy.”

And for the first time, we hear something surprising—

he may have had his own signpost…
even before we ever met.

In Part 2, we step into his perspective of the tour—

and finally hear when everything shifted for him.

When did he know?

And was it as unexpected for him… as it was for me?

See pictures and videos related to this episode ⁠here⁠.

Please subscribe to this podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠

Music:

Where to Next by Ritchie Everett | Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Other music by ⁠@JoeEPmusic

I thought everything was moving forward.

Caught up in the excitement, my parents took me wedding dress shopping—and even though I wasn’t sure I was ready, I found the dress almost immediately.

But while life was moving ahead… staying connected wasn’t easy.

With limited phone calls, one-way faxes, and letters that took days, we found a way to stay close—recording cassette tapes to each other.

It wasn’t perfect.
But it was something.

Before leaving Maryland, I began to understand everything that had to happen for us to actually be together.

Two weeks after returning from Europe, I moved back home to Tennessee—holding onto this new future, but careful about who I shared it with.

Then came the moment we had been waiting for.

His visa appointment.

I waited anxiously for the call…

And when it finally came—

everything inside me dropped.

I was in anguish.

Everything had moved so quickly… so smoothly…

and then—suddenly—everything stopped.

The prophecy had begun to unfold—
I had gone to Eastern Europe.
I had met my husband.

But it was June.

And now…

I didn’t know how we were going to move forward.

See pictures and videos related to this episode ⁠here⁠.

Please subscribe to this podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠

Music:

Where to Next by Ritchie Everett | Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Other music by ⁠@JoeEPmusic

I wasn’t ready to tell everyone.

After returning home, the questions came quickly—about my trip, about my life… about my love life.

But I wasn’t ready to share.

Not yet.

I wanted my parents to be the first to know.

For a while, I managed to avoid the conversations. But eventually, I cracked—and told one person.

And once I said it out loud… everything shifted.

One by one, I began sharing the news with my friends.

But the moment that mattered most was still ahead.

When my parents arrived, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer.

So I made dinner.
Including my dad’s favorite dessert—banana cream pie.

And that night, I told them everything.

That I hadn’t just come home from a trip…

I was going to be married.
I was stepping into a whole new life.

And that meant—
they weren’t just gaining a son-in-law…

they were gaining a granddaughter too.

See pictures and videos related to this episode ⁠here⁠.

Please subscribe to this podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠

Music:

Where to Next by Ritchie Everett | Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Other music by ⁠@JoeEPmusic

I thought I was ready.

But once the reality of everything set in, I began to panic.

Marriage.
Moving across the world.
Becoming a mother to his young daughter, Sara—who I had only just met.

It all felt like too much, too fast.

Even though Sara and I connected, the weight of what I was stepping into kept growing. Questions and fears filled my mind, and I couldn’t quiet them.

That night, surrounded by laughter and connection as we shared our final evening together, something inside me finally broke.

Through tears, I said the words I never expected to say—

“I can’t do this.”

But his response…

changed everything.

The next morning, we packed our bags and headed to the airport.

Wiesiek and Sara came with me, wanting one last goodbye.

And as I boarded the plane, I truly believed I would see Wiesiek and Sara again soon…I didn’t realize the fight we were about to face.”

See pictures and videos related to this episode ⁠here⁠.

Please subscribe to this podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠

Music:

Where to Next by Ritchie Everett | Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Other music by ⁠@JoeEPmusic

I didn’t expect it to happen this quickly.

After an emotional—and unforgettable—flight, we landed back in Poland and went out to dinner together. Everything felt surreal.

The next day, our final full day in Europe, we shared the news with the team—

we were engaged.

Just like that.

While everyone else went out to explore Warsaw, we headed somewhere far more serious—the American Embassy to begin the process for his visa.

Then from there… we went ring shopping.

It all felt like a dream.

Until it didn’t.

When I stepped into his apartment, reality hit me all at once.

This wasn’t just a fairytale anymore—
this was a life I was stepping into.

This wasn’t just a fairytale anymore—
this was a life I was stepping into.

A new country.
A new family.
No friends.
No easy way to call home.

And for the first time,

I felt it—

fear.

And as we went to meet his daughter, a question rose up inside me that I couldn’t ignore:

Can I really go through with this?

See pictures and videos related to this episode ⁠here⁠.

Please subscribe to this podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠

Music:

Where to Next by Ritchie Everett | Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Other music by ⁠@JoeEPmusic

I didn’t expect it to happen like that.

After a full day in a small town outside of Kiev, our group toured an ancient cathedral. But instead of staying with everyone else, Willy pulled me aside and led me outside.

He said something to me in Polish—words I didn’t understand, but somehow felt.

And as the last light of the day faded, he took me in his arms and gave me our first kiss.

The next morning was my birthday.

And just like that, everything felt different.

For our final day in Kiev, we spent time in ministry again—but later, Willy took me on our first date. We talked openly, honestly… about everything—our hopes, our future, even children.

And somewhere in that conversation, I realized something that both excited and unsettled me—

I didn’t know what my future looked like.

I didn’t fully understand his world… his language… or even, until that moment, what his real name truly was.

With only a couple of days left, we said emotional farewells to our Russian and Ukrainian friends and boarded a plane back to Warsaw.

And as we flew, I realized something that stopped me in my tracks—

two parts of the prophecy had already come to pass.

Which meant…

something more was still ahead.

And I had a feeling it was about to happen soon.

See pictures and videos related to this episode ⁠here⁠.

Please subscribe to this podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠

Music:

Where to Next by Ritchie Everett | Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Other music by ⁠@JoeEPmusic

I couldn’t ignore the question anymore—

what were we?

After the unexpected visits from my Russian friends and everything that had already happened between us, I felt like I was trying to process too much at once.

As we explored Kiev together, it became harder to pretend nothing was going on. Willy wasn’t hiding how he felt anymore… and people were starting to notice.

With only a few days left on the trip, I knew I couldn’t leave without clarity.

So I finally asked.

But the conversation didn’t go the way I imagined.

The next day, as we traveled to a small town outside the city, I found myself still trying to make sense of it all. Sitting in a quiet café, I was faced with even more questions—about him, about us, and about what this was becoming.

And after a conversation with a few people on the team, I made a decision.

One that felt right…

even if I wasn’t sure what it would mean next.

But I was about to find out.

See pictures and videos related to this episode ⁠here⁠.

Please subscribe to this podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠

Music:

Where to Next by Ritchie Everett | Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Other music by ⁠@JoeEPmusic

I wasn’t ready for how quickly everything started to unfold.

After receiving overwhelming confirmation about my future—and about Willy—I did my best to keep my focus where it belonged. But even a simple morning at the church came with unexpected distractions… including an “interesting” moment I won’t soon forget.

Running on little sleep, all I wanted was to go back to the hotel and rest. Instead, we ventured deep into the subway tunnels of Kiev, exploring the city together.

What followed felt almost surreal.

A beautiful restaurant. Unexpected generosity. Moments that felt both lighthearted and meaningful all at once.

But it was on the way back that everything shifted again.

Without saying much, he reached for my hand—and didn’t let go.

And just like that, what had been building beneath the surface became impossible to ignore.

As I lay in bed that night, my mind raced.

Things were moving quickly.

And for the first time, I had to ask myself…

what does this mean for us?

And how long could I avoid finding out?

See pictures and videos related to this episode ⁠here⁠.

Please subscribe to this podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠

Music:

Where to Next by Ritchie Everett | Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Other music by ⁠@JoeEPmusic

I didn’t expect another surprise.

But when Olga suddenly appeared and joined us for the rest of the week in Ukraine, I had no idea how much that moment would matter.

That night, sitting at dinner with Olga, Willy, and his family, something happened I couldn’t explain.

I heard something.

And it stopped me in my tracks.

Later, as I sat with my friends, I was shown something even more unexpected—a vision that would change the way I saw everything.

And in that moment…
I saw something I couldn’t unsee.

Something about my future—
and the role he would play in it.

Lying in bed that night, my mind raced.

About my future.
About what I had just heard.
About what it could all mean.

I knew one thing for certain—

God loved me.

And whatever He had for me… I wanted to say yes.

Even if I didn’t fully understand it yet.

There was only one week left of the trip.

And somehow, I knew—

everything was about to change.

And it was going to happen faster than I was ready for.

See pictures and videos related to this episode ⁠here⁠.

Please subscribe to this podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠

Music:

Where to Next by Ritchie Everett | Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Other music by ⁠@JoeEPmusic

I didn’t expect to fall in love with Ukraine so quickly.

On my first morning there, I was overwhelmed—by the beauty, by the people, and by the heaviness I could see in so many faces. It stirred something deep in me and made me even more determined to pour myself into the mission.

But even in the middle of it all, I couldn’t fully ignore him.

Somewhere between dances, I found a note from Willy—clearly meant for me.

I told myself it didn’t matter.

I tried to pretend it wasn’t there.

But later that day, something happened I wasn’t prepared for.

An unexpected moment left me vulnerable… and somehow, I found myself in his arms.

And in that moment—

everything changed.

Even though I didn’t want it to.

Even though I kept telling myself to stay focused… to keep my distance… to not let this become something more.

But the truth was—

I couldn’t stop what I was beginning to feel.

And I had no idea where it was about to lead.

See pictures and videos related to this episode ⁠here⁠.

Please subscribe to this podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠

Music:

Where to Next by Ritchie Everett | Courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com

Other music by ⁠@JoeEPmusic