A couple got married just three months after meeting on YouTube during the pandemic despite their 28-year age gap and only meeting up in person three times.
Sarah Henderson, human resources and technical recruiter from Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, first met her husband pet services business owner Darin on YouTube at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in October 2020.
Sarah, 26, started an inspirational self-improvement YouTube channel called 'Your Ideal Self' while Darin, 54, launched a channel about dogs called 'Dog Guy Darin' around the same time.
Darin from Kansas City, Missouri initiated a conversation with Sarah after seeing a comment she'd left on a video and the two started talking and soon became firm friends.
Neither person was looking to date someone of a different age to them, but their platonic friendship quickly turned into romance and Sarah and Darin fell for each other hard and fast. They bonded over music, creativity, and their shared dreams of one day living a nomadic lifestyle.
Sarah fell in love with Darin's young-at-heart outlook on life and Darin was taken by the way in which Sarah inspires him to eat healthier and exercise so that they can live a fulfilling, long and happy life together.
Sarah and Darin were living in separate states and decided to meet up in real life in November 2020 when Darin drove to Michigan to meet Sarah where they went horse riding and walking and shared their first kiss.
They met up again in December and then Sarah proposed to Darin in January 2021.
The couple got married on January 20, 2021, within three months of knowing each other and haven't looked back since. Sarah has now moved to Missouri to live with Darin and they are living happily together.
Before meeting Sarah, Darin had given up on love so his friends and family were overjoyed for him finding love. Sarah's friends were also pleased for her.
Sarah and Darin now have a YouTube channel of their own where they share their relationship with the world and aim to breakdown the stigma that surrounds age gap relationships.
"We found each other in the most unexpected way," said Sarah.
"Both of us started YouTube channels around the time of the pandemic. We met on YouTube and became friends.
"That didn't last too long, because we both fell for each other pretty hard and pretty fast. We connected on music, politics, religion (or lack thereof), writing, animals, poetry, and our shared wanderlust.
"We spoke every day, sent lullabies to each other each night via email, and worked out together on video chats every other day.
"We both agree that neither of us were looking for someone of a different age, it's just that we were attracted to who we were attracted to.
"Some people immediately say it will never work - that Darin will get old and I will have to take care of him or he will die and leave me alone, but those things can happen in any relationship.
"How many people have married someone of the same age, only to lose that person to cancer or a car accident? We say you can't go into a relationship worrying about what could go wrong, but should enjoy every moment and appreciate the time you have together.
"Another stigma is that Darin will get frustrated with me not understanding pop culture or historical references or perhaps acting too immature, but we both learn from each other. I call Darin my ' Google ' and see him as a wealth of knowledge, while Darin loves the youthful playfulness I bring to our lives.
"I see Darin as being younger at heart than others his age, and I easily love everything about him.
"When I'm with him, I don't see or feel the age difference. I just see someone with the same values as me and the same purpose.
"I'm glad to be with someone who wants the same things as me and dreams as big as me. The future is bright with Darin."
Darin and Sarah have been sharing their age gap relationship on YouTube and hope to breakdown the stigma that surrounds such relationships.
"Through our creative outlets we hope to realise our dream of a nomadic lifestyle, earning a living by connecting with a community of fans, giving Ted talks and motivational speeches, as well as publishing a book about our experience," said Sarah.
"We would love to be on TV and have applied for shows such as the Amazing Race, in an effort to present age gap relationships in a positive way.
"We also want to host a show featuring other age gap couples and success stories to normalise relationships like ours.
"Don't give in to haters or negativity. Don't fall for the argument that your love and your relationship is somehow 'wrong' or 'weird', and remember to live every day proving the haters wrong.
"If we ever struggle, we remind each other we are in this life together and we're not about to give in to negative criticism.
"True love doesn't see age, any more than it sees race, religion, gender or political differences. Love is love."
