Two Teens Fell in Love on Vacation Then Went Their Separate Ways. 26 Years Later, They Found Their Way Back

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In 1993, Kerri and Dirk fell in love while exploring Europe. They share their incredible story with CNN TravelNEED TO KNOW
Two teens, Kerri and Dirk, fell in love while on vacation together in Europe. Nearly three decades later they ended up together
The couple grew apart after their initial trip and even went on to marry other people
After tragedy struck both Kerri and Dirk, another trip connected them back togetherIn the summer of 1993, a 14-year-old American teenager named Kerri Cunningham left her home in New York, to join her parents on a trip around Europe. The vacation would take Kerri, her parents and two sisters to the U.K., France and then on a two-week-bus tour through Italy.
While the Cunninghams crossed the English Channel on a ferry to France, Kerri's parents started chatting with an English family of tourists: the Stevenses. It turned out the families were embarking on the same Italian tour. Soon, Kerri spotted Dirk, the family's 15-year-old son.
'I was immediately smitten,' Kerri told CNN Travel. 'Hugh Grant was really big at that time. And he sort of had this young Hugh Grant hair. Being an American girl, Hugh Grant was the guy.'
'A bad haircut,' Dirk added. 'But it worked at the time.'
As the vacation progressed, the families grew closer. The teens sat side-by-side listening to music through Kerri's Walkman. Meanwhile, the dads would grab a drink at the pub while the moms went shopping.
Kerri grew fond of the way Dirk interacted with his family. Dirk's father used a wheelchair and Dirk often helped his dad navigate the streets.
'I had never met anyone my age who was so comfortable with himself and his family and so accepting of me and mine,' Kerri told the outlet. 'Everything was just easy and fun. We just got each other and there was a very strong attraction.'
The teens would often sneak away during the evenings to do their own thing, like snagging bottles of champagne and dancing arm-in-arm in an Italian hotel.
'We just felt so comfortable together,' Dirk recalls. 'I remember being on a gondola in Venice and just laughing the entire time.'
Take PEOPLE with you! to get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more — right to your mailbox.'I'm pretty sure we stole a few kisses when our parents weren't looking,' Kerri said.
As the two-week tour came to a close, the teens realized they had to say goodbye. But luckily, their parents had planned to stay in touch. In fact, they made plans for the Stevenses to visit New York the following summer and stay with the Cunninghams on Long Island.
Over the course of a year, the teens exchanged letters and made frequent phone calls to stay connected. When Kerri saw Dirk for the first time on Long Island in 1994, she felt 'at home.' The couple spent every moment together: on the beach and at Kerri's summer job.
'It was a very exciting time,' Dirk said of the summer in New York. 'Knowing that our time together was limited, made it all the more special.'When the summer came to a close, the teens continued to communicate long distance. But it gradually slowed down.
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'We both got busy. We loved each other, but we weren't sure when we'd get to see each other again,' Dirk said. 'We were both students that couldn't afford expensive flights. Life gets in the way.'
During Kerri's first year of college, her father was diagnosed with ALS. Shortly after, he died when Kerri was just 19. Both the Cunninghams and Stevenses were devastated.
Kerri had planned on going to Paris with some girlfriends around the same time, but the trip was canceled. When Dirk's mother heard of her cancelled plans, she offered to take her and Dirk to Paris, together. In retrospect, Kerri realizes Dirk's mother wanted the kids to reconnect.'It happened to be Valentine's Day week,' Kerri said of the 2001 vacation. 'It was very romantic.'
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After the trip, everyone went their separate ways again: Kerri to New York and Dirk to the U.K.
Kerri went on to marry a fellow Long Islander named Dean in 2010. Meanwhile Dirk also got married and had three children.
In 2015, Dirk's daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder. The next year, his mother died suddenly.
Also in 2016, Kerri's husband Dean was diagnosed with a terminal Glioblastoma brain tumor. He died 18 months later.
'I lost him in 2017,' said Kerri. 'We did not have any children.'
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A couple years later, Kerri's aunt suggested going to Ireland to 'get away.' About the same time, Dirk had emailed her to check in.'I told him of my upcoming plans for Ireland and he asked if he and his dad could meet us there. We hadn't seen each other in 17 years.'
For the first time in almost two decades, Dirk stood in front of Kerri in Ireland.'When we saw each other, we hugged so tightly and I started crying. I realized I had never stopped loving him and, boy, was it nice to be hugged by such an old, true friend,' Kerri said.
Just like their summer in 1993, Dirk and Kerri experienced a blossoming romance, accompanied by their older chaperones. While only for a couple days, Kerri and Dirk opened up to each other. Dirk revealed to Kerri that he had separated from his wife.
Right before Kerri left for the airport he asked: 'Maybe we can make this work?'
'I knew I had to give us a real chance, because something much bigger had brought us back together,' she told the outlet.
That was back in 2019. Today, the couple has been together for six years. Kerri still works in the U.S., but splits her time across the Atlantic to be with Dirk and his children.
'We were always meant to be together,' Kerri said of Dirk. 'We are twin flames that found our way back to each other after all those years.'
Read the original article on People
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