(CNN) — It was the morning of April 4, 2003 and Jennifer Lowther was crying within the nook of a Toronto Airport lounge as a result of she was going to overlook her greatest pal’s wedding ceremony.
It was early spring however a sudden snowstorm had plunged Toronto again into winter. Departures had stalled, the airport was buzzing with confused vacationers and employees coping with the fallout.
Jennifer had been set to catch a home flight west to her hometown of Winnipeg. Her unique flight was canceled and later planes appeared to be going the identical method. It was too late to make the 24-hour street journey.
This was her closest pal’s nuptials, and she or he was alleged to be grasp of ceremonies. Plus, Jennifer, then 29, had moved to Toronto only a yr earlier than and had been fighting loneliness. She’d been eager for this particular weekend again residence surrounded by family members.
Throughout the airport lounge, Chris Powell was chatting with fellow stranded passengers. Toronto-based Powell often flew to Vancouver for work and was used to disruptions. He knew the snow would result in costlier-to-cancel worldwide flights being prioritized and so rebooked on the primary leg of a night flight to Hong Kong by way of Vancouver.
Now all Chris needed to do was wait eight hours for that flight to roll round.
“And I’ve a company bank card, so into the lounge I went,” he recollects to CNN Journey as we speak.
Chris, naturally outgoing, had been chatting with different vacationers within the lounge for about an hour when he observed Jennifer, whom he jokingly describes as we speak as a “unhappy state of a woman crying right into a plate of eggs over within the nook.”
Chris known as her over and requested what was happening.
“You’re actually killing our buzz,” he deadpanned.
Jennifer was taken again, however from Chris’ sympathetic expression and smile, she realized instantly he was joking.
His sarcasm made her really feel higher nearly immediately, regardless of all of it.
“I believed it was sort of entertaining,” Jennifer says now.
She pulled up a chair and instructed her story. In flip, the opposite stranded vacationers shared their tales. One man had been en path to suggest to his girlfriend, one other traveler was returning residence to household after working away from residence for 3 months.
None of them have been going anyplace. Bonding over their shared frustrations, they settled into breakfast, adopted, earlier than lengthy, by a beer or two — the inherent timelessness of an airport lounge canceling out any hesitations about ingesting earlier than midday.
Quickly, in opposition to the percentages, a celebratory environment descended.
Surprising connection
Jennifer and Chris, pictured within the Toronto airport lounge in April 2003 on the day they met.
Courtesy Jennifer Powell
Earlier in her twenties, Jennifer had been engaged to a man again residence in Winnipeg, however had known as it off when she realized it didn’t really feel proper — a part of the impetus for beginning anew in Toronto the yr earlier than.
Her relationship forays within the large metropolis hadn’t been profitable and, dissatisfied with life there, she’d began to marvel what might need been. Jennifer’s ex-fiance was set to be on the wedding ceremony, and earlier than being stranded on the airport, she’d questioned if they could rekindle their relationship.
As for Chris, he was 34 and having fun with being single. He’d by no means related with anybody he might think about settling down with.
However instantly, when Jennifer sat down at his desk, Chris had felt related to her. Jennifer felt it too. They have been quickly on the middle of this spontaneous airport gathering, holding courtroom as different vacationers got here and went.
“We kind of turned these get together hosts,” says Jennifer as we speak.
At one level, a brand new addition to the group turned to the 2 and requested “How lengthy have you ever guys been collectively?”
“About 48 minutes,” joked Chris in response.
This quickly turned a sample — different vacationers picked up on one thing, and assumed Chris and Jennifer have been a pair.
“There was an attention-grabbing connection,” says Jennifer as we speak. “We sort of checked out one another and mentioned, ‘The place have you ever been?’”
“I don’t actually cotton onto that sort of concept fairly often, however I simply sort of take a look at her and I’m like, ‘Man, it seems like this has been happening — in a constructive method — without end,’” says Chris as we speak.
“Greater than this lifetime,” agrees Jennifer.
Discovering a flight
Occasionally, the stranded vacationers would head again to the check-in desks and inquire concerning the flight state of affairs. Jennifer was notably decided. As a lot as she was having fun with Chris’ firm, she hated the considered lacking the marriage.
“I stored making an attempt to determine options, and it wasn’t working,” says Jennifer as we speak. “I feel I’d cried, like, each second hour.”
Round 4 p.m., Jennifer realized her newest flight had been canceled. It appeared like she might need to lastly settle for defeat. She began tearing up once more.
Chris couldn’t bear to see her so sad.
“I’d had simply sufficient liquid braveness on the time to say, ‘I can repair this,’” he recollects as we speak.
He accompanied Jennifer again to the departures corridor, with its lengthy traces of stranded passengers and flustered reserving brokers.
They approached considered one of them.
Chris requested the reserving agent her title. She was Lisa. Chris launched himself and Jennifer, and defined the state of affairs.
“I’ve a query for you, Lisa,” he mentioned. “What would you do to get to your greatest pal’s wedding ceremony?”
“Effectively, I don’t know. Just about something,” mentioned the reserving agent.
“Proper,” mentioned Chris. “Let’s maintain that in thoughts. Jenn is making an attempt to get to her greatest pal’s wedding ceremony in Winnipeg…”
The agent lower him off, explaining all Winnipeg flights have been canceled.
“Lisa, keep in mind. Greatest. Buddy’s. Marriage ceremony,” mentioned Chris.
“Okay, I’m open. I’m listening to you out,” relented Lisa.
The group cycled via just a few choices with no avail. Then Chris defined he was going to Vancouver at 9pm that night.
“Is there any probability we might get Jenn on the Vancouver flight after which she will someway double again to Winnipeg?” he urged.
It was sort of a wild concept — Vancouver is 2 and half hours additional west than Winnipeg by air — however not an inconceivable one.
Lisa, now decided to assist them out, searched on her laptop and got here again with excellent news: there was one seat left on Chris’ flight to Vancouver. She might even sit them collectively. After which she might e-book Jennifer on a flight very first thing the next morning again to Edmonton, after which Edmonton to Winnipeg.
“If this works out, I’m going to kiss you,” mentioned Jennifer to Chris.
“Woman, you needed to kiss me the minute you met me,” mentioned Chris.
Jennifer simply laughed.
“So she put me on the flight,” she recollects now. The 2 headed again to the lounge to have fun.
Extra excellent news adopted, the opposite vacationers Jennifer and Chris had befriended within the lounge have been additionally discovering options.
“We’d weathered the storm, and all of us ended up with the ability to go and do the issues that we needed to do,” says Jennifer.
“It was a feel-good get together from then on,” says Chris.
Jennifer was set to have a five-hour layover in Vancouver. Somewhat than staying on the airport, Chris urged she might stick with him at a superb pal’s place within the metropolis.
“I’d by no means usually belief any individual and go along with them or no matter, however once more, it felt completely proper,” says Jennifer as we speak.
Boarding the flight that night, the 2 have been nearly euphoric. Jennifer was en path to the marriage — they usually’d discovered one another alongside the best way.
Because the flight was about to take off, the 2 kissed for the primary time.
Jennifer says it was a “film kiss.” Chris describes it as merely “the kiss.”
“We truly kissed the entire solution to Vancouver, simply kind of like enamored with one another,” recollects Jennifer.
In Vancouver, the 2 received to Chris’ pal’s place. It was 1 a.m. native time, 4 a.m. for Chris and Jennifer. They crashed out, exhausted.
Just a few hours later, Jennifer was on the point of head again to the airport.
“Let’s get collectively after we’re each again in Toronto,” mentioned Chris as they mentioned their goodbyes. She agreed they usually swapped contact particulars.
A splash to the church
Jennifer’s flight to Winnipeg was set to reach at 1 p.m. and the marriage was an hour later. It was going to be tight.
As she sat down, she shared the story along with her seat neighbor, explaining she actually wanted to get off the minute the flight touched down — which might be tough, given she was proper behind the plane.
Her fellow traveler, moved by Jennifer’s willpower to make it, determined to make it his mission to cross this message up the aircraft.
“He finally ends up sharing with everyone — just about in each seat — this story of this lady who’s traveled all the best way throughout Canada and again to attempt to get to this wedding ceremony,” says Jennifer as we speak.
When the flight landed, Jennifer leaped up.
“Run, Jen, run!” shouted her seat neighbor, and she or he sprinted down the aisle.
“All people had heard the story — it had simply moved via the aircraft — so everyone let me undergo,” recollects Jennifer as we speak.
Working via arrivals, down the escalator, Jennifer rang her mom, who was choosing her up.
“Begin the automotive!” she shouted.
In a matter of minutes she was within the automotive along with her mother and father, departing the airport.
With the minutes ticking down earlier than the ceremony, there was simply time for Jennifer to alter and attempt to make herself really feel extra presentable.
“My hair had not been combed for 36 hours,” she recollects.
Jennifer and her mother detoured at an area hairdresser, who they’d recognized for years. There, Jennifer received prepared as shortly as potential.
“I’m altering, pulling on a strapless bra, placing on a costume making an attempt to do my make-up and my pantyhose, whereas he’s making an attempt to determine one thing to do with my hair,” recollects Jennifer.
“My dad’s exterior revving the engine prefer it’s the Indy 500, as a result of he’s feeling like it’s his function in life to get me to this wedding ceremony.”
At nearly 2 p.m. on the dot, the household pulled up exterior the church and Jennifer jumped out.
“My pal was nearly to stroll down the aisle, and sees me and stops,” she recollects.
The bride-to-be rushed out of the church, flinging her arms spherical Jennifer.
“We cried, as a result of the entire time she thought I wasn’t gonna make it,” says Jennifer.
In the meantime, the groom-to-be panicked, pondering his fiancee had chilly ft. However earlier than lengthy the bride had returned to the aisle and Jennifer slipped into her seat. She’d made it.
Because the ceremony started, Jennifer turned to the individual subsequent to her. It was her ex-fiance, the previous flame she’d questioned if she would possibly reunite with on the wedding ceremony. She now knew that wasn’t going to occur.
“As quickly as Chris and I met I used to be like, ‘No, that is future. there’s one thing right here that I must pursue.’ And I simply sort of indicated to my ex that that was not going to occur,” says Jennifer as we speak.
The remainder of the marriage was a whirlwind of festivities. Jennifer didn’t take a second with no consideration, she was so relieved to be there.
And in between the toasts and the speeches, she discovered herself reflecting on the person she’d fallen for on the airport and who’d made positive she made it to the church on time.
“I used to be simply saying to folks, ‘I met this man and he sort of saved me. He was like my knight in shining armor.’”
A second date
Jennifer and Chris received to know each other over summer time 2003.
Courtesy Jennifer Powell
As Jennifer celebrated on the wedding ceremony, Chris received prepared for his enterprise journey and thought concerning the whirlwind 24 hours he’d spent.
“I’d by no means met anybody like her,” he says now. “It was palpably totally different. And I used to be definitely excited to see her once more.”
Chris was away from Toronto for the following few weeks working. When he returned, Jennifer was again within the metropolis too. He went straight from the airport to Jennifer’s condominium for date quantity two.
They’d exchanged a few emails within the intervening weeks, however Jennifer was nervous. When Chris confirmed up, she couldn’t cease speaking.
“You discuss an excessive amount of,” he mentioned, and kissed her.
Inside three months, they have been engaged.
“You met her ingesting in an airport, and two and a half, three months later, you guys are engaged?” Chris recollects folks exclaiming.
Chris and Jennifer at their engagement get together in September 2003.
Courtesy Jennifer Powell
Jennifer says they zoned this out: “There was simply this sense that magic was taking place, and moderately than overthinking it, we simply went with it.”
They’d merged their friendship teams, met each other’s households and found a shared love of journey, the outside and music. Chris proposed one night after the 2 returned again from a gig. Jennifer had simply mirrored that it had been a “excellent night time.”
“It was nearly excellent,” mentioned Chris. “It might be excellent in case you’ll do me the glory of being my bride.”
The 2 say their wedding ceremony in 2004 in Winnipeg was the “greatest get together ever.” Fortunately the climate performed ball, and regardless of many friends flying in from Toronto, nobody got here near lacking the celebrations.
Household and travels
Chris and Jennifer on their wedding ceremony day in 2004. After the primary dance, Chris and most of the different friends turned into Hawaiian shirts.
Courtesy Jennifer Powell
Just a few years later Jennifer turned pregnant with their first baby.
It was a shock. When Jennifer was 19, she’d been handled for cervical most cancers and instructed she couldn’t have kids.
She was thrilled when their son was born, whereas Chris, who’d at all times mentioned he didn’t need youngsters, embraced this shock new chapter wholeheartedly.
“He’s the perfect dad,” says Jennifer. “And as a lot as he wasn’t pondering he was wanting youngsters, when the youngsters truly got here alongside, he ended up leaping in with two ft.”
Their son Spencer was adopted by their daughter Lauren just a few years later.
“Spencer has autism, so we’ve needed to transfer via being mother and father of particular wants,” says Jennifer. “However I feel we kind of began as we meant to go on, the place we’re simply at all times making an attempt to maintain it laughing — humor is a primary a part of our existence.”
Jennifer and Chris with their youngsters in Ecuador on their round-world journey in 2016.
Courtesy Jennifer Powell
When their youngsters have been 9 and 10, Jennifer and Chris took sabbaticals from work and launched into a 9 month round-the-world journey.
The choice stemmed from tragedy. An in depth pal of the couple handed away abruptly, prompting Jennifer and Chris to rethink how they needed to spend their days.
“We sat down as a household and everyone recognized three locations they needed to see on the planet — anyplace on the planet they needed to go — and considered one of Jenn’s was tangoing in Argentina, and my son needed to see blue whales off the coast of Sri Lanka,” says Chris.
The couple had fearful that their son Spencer would possibly battle with the shortage of construction — mother and father of kids with autism are sometimes inspired to maintain to routines. However Jennifer and Chris say each their youngsters cherished the journey. 5 years on, the household nonetheless discuss fondly of their international journey.
Humor, time and destiny
Jennifer and Chris say humor is an enormous a part of their 18-years-and-counting relationship.
Courtesy Jennifer Powell
At this time, Jennifer and Chris are the mother and father of youngsters. The household has been locked down in Canada for the previous 20 months throughout Covid-19, embracing the ups and downs of the state of affairs with the humor and levity that’s characterised their relationship from the start.
It’s been over 18 years and their connection’s remained agency, however Jennifer and Chris reckon they’ve each modified a bit since they first crossed paths at Toronto Airport.
Chris says Jennifer’s matured from her small city roots, however she’s stored up the “core values” that stem from her background.
“Chris was method overly assured and smug after we first met,” says Jennifer, laughing. “I cherished it as a result of I used to be so enamored with any individual who had such a way of self that they have been so snug to go and be speaking to everyone within the room.”
“And that, like my hair, has now gone, is that what you’re saying?” says Chris.
“No, I feel, you’ve tempered somewhat bit, possibly over time,” says Jennifer. “However I feel his humorousness is the factor that has at all times been steadfast via this complete factor.”
Whereas the 2 typically joke concerning the circumstances of their assembly — they have been each at their least glamorous, they are saying — in addition they marvel on the coincidence of assembly on this serendipitous, romantic method.
“It was, I don’t know, cosmic alignment, name it what you’ll, name it kismet — nevertheless it was wonderful,” says Chris. “I’m fortunate it occurred to me. Thanks destiny, up to now so good.”
