We matched on Bumble. I ended up moving from California to Virginia to live with him.

Chiechi and her husband.

Marissa Chiechi/ Carrie McGuire

• Life-long Californian, Marissa Chiechi, moved from Los Angeles to Alexandria, Virginia, in 2023.
• Chiechi relocated for her then-boyfriend, now husband, after his new job brought him to the East Coast.
• While she did feel lonely at first, the move made her a stronger person, she said.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Marissa Chiechi, 32, who relocated from Los Angeles to Alexandria, Virginia, in 2023.