Rita Sheean

Tell Us Your Story

In 1996 I decided to go to Australia to get over a bad relationship, which was doomed from the start and had ended as badly as could be expected. Why Australia? It was as far away as I could get and I had fond memories of that country from my last journey. I quit my job, the plan was to travel around Australia for a year or so.

I arrived in Australia and stayed with a friend in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, while organizing everything for my trip. However, the day, before I was going to start my trip, I walked into the local pub. I went to the bar to order, but before I could say anything, I was greeted by some guy with the words: "Hello Berlin!"

Now, I have to explain, that Swiss people do not appreciate being taken for Germans and considering I hadn't even said anything yet, I was wondering how he could tell, I wasn't an Australian. So, I asked him, how he knew... it turned out, he didn't know at all. At the time tough, my hair was dyed jetblack and there was a blond streak in the front. So it looked just like Terry Nunn, the singer of the band Berlin!

Anyhow, we spend the rest of the day together, getting to know each other and in that short time in that pub I fell head over heels in love. Mainly because this guy had the most mesmerizing blue eyes, I had ever seen. We found out, that both of us wanted the same thing in life: someone to love unconditionally, who loves you back the same way. Within 4 hours of knowing each other we decided to get married, within 5 days we were on a plane back to Switzerland, withing 2 months we were married. There were a lot of ups and downs in our lives.

We will be married for 15 years this September, we have to boys, one of them is autistic, my husband hardly ever sees his family because it's too far and too expensive... there are a lot of factors, that cause problems. But we have overcome every hardship so far and we still love each other. I am sure, whatever comes our way, good or bad, we will stay strong together.