Jeremy Pratico, a 47-year-old American, has found love in a 19-year-old girl from Belgium. Based in Vermont, USA, he shared that he first met his girlfriend, Charline Chaltin, back in 2020 through the fan group for 21 Pilots on Facebook. Charline asked the members what their favorite songs for the ban was and Jeremy was among them who answered.
“Jeremy answered and I didn’t really react to his comments, but then he found me on Instagram and we started chatting on there.”
Jeremy worked as a teacher for his day job and said that he'd never imagined meeting his other half through such interaction. He'd spent way more time online since the pandemic, which led to quarantine and lockdown.
As time goes by, the two spent more time talking online, and Jeremy found his feelings growing for the woman.
“I would never normally date someone so young and that far away," said Jeremy.
"But about a week in, I was like, ‘uh oh, I feel something.’ I was excited to talk to her, and I knew very quickly I enjoyed speaking to her,” he told Mirror.
“I’ve had girls who live 70 miles away asking if I wanted to be in a relationship with them, and I’ve always said no because I can’t do long distances. But with Charline, all the rules went out the window.”
The two made it work out for the next few months before they eventually met up.
“Something just happened between us, I can’t really explain it. We chatted every day, all day long.”
Jeremy planned an eight-day trip to Belgium, expecting that the restrictions would be lifted by summer in June. It happened as plan, and the two were finally allowed to meet after a year of chatting and calling!
They recalled, “I went over there on 30th June. Neither of us was nervous about the meeting because we already knew each other so well."
“Seeing each other for the first time, there was an immediate connection. It was my favorite moment of my whole life, seeing her for the first time. It was absolutely magical."
He also recalled how Charline had set up a surprise for him in his room which was located in the same apartment Charline was renting.
When addressing their age gap, Jeremy explained why Charline was perfect for him.
“I’m very childlike - I have Peter Pan syndrome. I’m the teacher that jumps on the tables," he laughed about it. “I’m very immature for my age, and Charline is very mature for her age. Neither of us notices an age gap between us because she’s an old soul and I’m a young soul.”
The two are hoping to meet up again this Christmas. And while both sides' family members show concerns, they were willing to take their time to get things sorted out - the restrictions and college - to finally be together.
