Woman's 'life changed forever' after meeting man in Gran Canaria

A woman's "life changed forever" when she met her now husband in Gran Canaria.

Laura Alejandra, originally from Colombia, was studying at Hecansa Culinary School in Las Palmas when she met Sam Johnson. Laura and Sam had both been volunteering when they completely "fell for each other."

At first they needed to use Google Translate to communicate but they quickly picked up each others language and marriage was on the cards. Laura moved to Sam's hometown of Hoylake and fulfilled her dream of opening a cake shop.

Get a free National Trust pass worth up to £50 for your family day out this autumn

Win a holiday from Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Madeira, Portugal with Jet2holidays

The 31-year-old said: "We completely fell for each other and soon Sam asked my father for his blessing to marry me. We had a beautiful bi-lingual wedding in Gran Canaria and our families met each other for the first time. When Sam had to return to the UK we spent most of our savings to get me a Visa to follow him."

Despite issues with the visa at first, Laura arrived in the Christmas of 2019 and began setting her dreams in motion. Laura added: “That moment at the airport was one I will never forget and our hug was the biggest we’d ever had. I was so happy to be in the UK with my love and settle in but then of course lockdowns started just a few months later, so my integration into the UK was not easy.

“As soon as I could get out socialising I learnt how kind the people are here. Members from our church donated us furniture for our new home and I was welcomed by all the locals. I got a job working at a local coffee shop and there I got to meet so many wonderful local people.”

In November 2022, a small commercial unit became available on Market