She got back in touch with a vacation fling from over 15 years ago. What happened next was unexpected

CNN —

Alex Nelke and Ola Forsmark never forgot that evening together in Thailand.

Eyes meeting across the dancefloor. Drinking on the beach side by side. Attempting to climb a mountain in the middle of the night. Swimming in the dark. Laughing together as they ran across the sandy beaches.

“I remember thinking, he’s a really special person, from the second I met him,” Alex tells CNN Travel today. “You know when you meet someone and you’re just on one level? It was so easy to talk to Ola. It just felt super right.”

“When I saw Alex, I was stunned,” Ola tells CNN Travel. “I had a crush on her the moment we met. She was always such a special person to me, ever since that first evening.”

Then, for more than 15 years, Alex and Ola were out of touch, living separate lives, happily in relationships with other people. They rarely thought of each other. When they did, it was with a fond nostalgia for a night they’d never forget, but had consigned firmly to the past.

Cut to 2020 and Alex and Ola both found themselves single. And an unexpected message out of the blue resurrected feelings and kickstarted a surprise second chapter.

An unforgettable evening

Alex and Ola’s paths first crossed when they were in their mid-20s, both visiting on the island of Ko Phi Phi, Thailand – known for its white sand beaches and striking limestone cliffs, all bordered by crystal clear blue water.

It was 2004. Alex, originally from Germany, had just quit her London-based fashion PR job to travel the world with her best friend. Meanwhile Ola was a Swedish engineering student spontaneously exploring southeast Asia. Alex and Ola met in a crowded bar and stayed up all night together on the island.

“We were only supposed to have that one evening