I have submitted my Fiance Visa application in March 2011 and one of the requirements is a letter detailing the history of our relationship. Below is what I have written:
[for privacy: some names where changed]
The history of our relationship is also illustrated in the photo journal part of this visa application.
Before I met [B], I have been living a relationship/commitment-free life for about 8 years. My first and only relationship before [B] was back in 2002 during my University days. It didn’t work out; it was a short relationship but that relationship was one of the major turning points of my life.
I grew up in the province where things were simple. You wake up, you go to school, you play, you eat, and you sleep again. The people are happy, loving and caring. That’s the kind of environment I grew up with and I assumed that everywhere else was the same.
When I turned 16 years old, I left my province and went to the crowded city of Manila for I was very lucky to have been offered a scholarship as a Varsity in one of the top Universities in Manila. That’s where I met my first boyfriend whom I cared for and loved but broke my heart at the end. I was awaken by the reality that the world is nothing similar to what I have initially perceived it to be. It can be cruel even to those with the purest intentions. From then on, I have been quite defensive when it comes to relationships fearing another hard fall. I always stayed on the safe side, protective of myself. In my 8 years of singlehood, I have so much enjoyed the freedom and focused myself in my career and in doing the things I mostly desired – travelling and adventures! But I also dated guys and I would say that at some point, I have attempted to open up myself in to another relationship but none of it felt right. And so I told myself to be patient for I know that someday someone will come and without a doubt and hesitation, will sweep me off my feet!
And so I continued to patiently wait and finally he came in the most unexpected place and time. I guess what they say is true that love comes when you least expect it.
My 5 friends and I joined a 3-day caving expedition in the Visayas region in June 2010. On the 2nd day of the expedition, in the dark but astonishing caves of Samar, [B] arrived and joined us – and that was when it all started. That time, [B] was just starting his 5-week vacation. In every pain we gained from crawling like crabs in tight passageways and climbing huge stones; in laughters when we get stuck or slid in muddy trails; in the suspense of the blinding darkness; in the excitement of new discoveries; in the fear of the unknown and other more things the caves offered, a great friendship was developed.
It was unexpected, it was unplanned but for [B] and I, that friendship eventually turned to love and commitment to each other. It happened so fast! I was helplessly swept off my feet and I willingly gave in because for the first time, it felt so right.
After the expedition, [B] explored other parts of the Philippines and also Taiwan but he has consistently visited me in Manila every weekend which was my rest day at work. Then he went back to Australia holding on to our commitment to each other. Our communication with each other was kept intact and we talk almost every day through email, skype, chat, text or call.
Our relationship turned to be an expensive one for we travel to see each other. We met in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia in September 2010, he came back to visit me in Manila in October 2010, I went to meet his family, relatives and friends in Perth and we also travelled to Sydney and Canberra in December 2010 and our most recent travel was in Hong Kong and Macau in January 2011.
On December 15, 2010, 60 meters above the ground, on top of a 200-year old Bi-Centennial Tree at Pemberton South West of Western Australia, [B] unexpectedly proposed marriage to me which I happily accepted. We are always happy when we are together and it is always difficult when it is parting time for we live in 2 different countries thousands of miles away from each other.
As we plan our future together, we both decided that I come over and live with him at Perth because he is still taking his second degree in Law at Murdoch University. We are both very excited to start our future together. I would like to always be there for him, to support him, to take care and love him. I will look for work and start my career when I get to Perth while he finishes his Law degree while working at the same time. Then we will get married in 2012 and we will continue to happily build a stable life enjoying each other’s existence until we decide to start and build our family maybe in 3 years time.
I have a very good and stable career in the Philippines earning about 10 times more than the average wage worker. I live alone, I do anything I can think of, I eat anything I desire, I go to places I want to go to, I buy anything I want, but despite all that, I have never been happier and fulfilled until [B] came in to my life. I have waited for 8 long years for someone to make me fall in love and feel loved again and now that he has come, I will love and care for him truthfully and unconditionally. Thus, I have made a definite and willing decision to leave my successful life in the Philippines and start it all over again with him in Australia.
If I am to recall my past, I consider it to be very well crafted! I think I was really meant to be hurt on my first relationship, to be defensive of myself. It made me more clever and careful not to commit myself in to a relationship just for the sake of committing. The pain of that first relationship gave me reasons to wait; made me endure the years of uncertain waiting for I knew and I felt that somewhere, there was someone I was yet to meet who is so much worthy to receive my love and commitment. And I was very right! From the very start, [B] has been a great boyfriend to me; very loving, supportive, understanding, honest, trustworthy and most of all, he loves me so dearly. Thus, I would say that [B] is definitely worth my years and years of wait.
At this point, [B] and his Dad has been preparing for my arrival. They are renovating some part of the house, buying appliances and furniture for a more comfortable living for us. I dearly appreciate all the effort [B] and his family has put up for my future arrival. [B] is coming to the Philippines for a month in June to July 2011 and we are both hopeful that this visa application will be approved by your good office and the result would come out before he arrives in June so I can come with him in July when he comes back to Australia.
From here on, our great future together now rests upon your hands.
