A woman fell in love with the life model she was painting and moved 5,500 miles to be with him - and now they are happily married.<br /><br />Katrin Schroeder, 32, was travelling around Europe when she took a life modelling class in Florence, Italy, and met Andrés Escalante, 35, who was posing clothed for a group of artists. <br /><br />The pair were both in relationships at the time, but hung out as friends before Katrin continued her European trip - visiting Switzerland and Croatia. <br /><br />She split from her boyfriend one month later and returned to Florence to study art, and found Andrés was also single and the pair started spending more time together.<br /><br />Katrin was forced to return home to Aspen, Colorado, US, when lockdown hit but the pair kept in touch - despite being 5,500 miles apart. <br /><br />They would call for hours a day and realised they had feelings for each other.<br /><br />Katrin was finally able to reunite with Andrés nine months later and he asked her to marry him. <br /><br />They tied the knot in September 2021 and now live happily in Florence, Italy, together.<br /><br />Katrin, an artist, originally from Roseville, Minnesota, US, said: “It’s all quite stupendous.<br /><br />“It’s really crazy."<br /><br />Andres, a photographer and life model, from Florence, Italy, said: “When I first saw her I thought she was really beautiful.<br /><br />“It really blossomed in the lockdown when she was away in the US.<br /><br />“It’s a whirlwind.<br /><br />"We became each other's muses."<br /><br />Katrin had helped her ex-partner move to Switzerland in September 2019 and decided to continue her trip and travel Europe – finding a painting workshop in Florence.<br /><br />She went to Italy in October 2019 and immediately locked eyes with model Andrés.<br /><br />Katrin said: “I was super anxious.<br /><br />“I saw Andrés – I thought ‘this model is super beautiful’<br /><br />“I had no intentions with Andrés.<br /><br />“But our eyes ended up meeting.”<br /><br />Andrés asked Katrin to go for drink and the pair decided to be friends.<br /><br />Katrin said: “He seemed really respectful.<br /><br />“We ended up exchanging Instagram.”<br /><br />Katrin spent time exploring Florence with Andrés, before going back to visit her boyfriend in Switzerland and then continuing her European trip to Croatia.<br /><br />She split from her ex-boyfriend in November 2019 and decided to go back to Florence and applied for an art courses at Charles Cecil studios.<br /><br />Katrin reconnected with Andrés and he helped her sort her visa.<br /><br />The couple ended up going out as friends on February 14, 2020, but when Covid hit Katrin was forced to return to the US.<br /><br />She said: “We were licking wounds together.<br /><br />“We were friends offering support.”<br /><br />Katrin was surprised to get a random call from Andrés a few weeks into lockdown.<br /><br />She said: “It was a surprise phone call.<br /><br />“The following week he called me again.<br /><br />“Gradually it became more frequent and then hours every day.<br /><br />“He was talking about things he’d show me when I got to Florence.<br /><br />“Towards the end of summer I was like 'I actually really like this guy'.<br /><br />“Does he feel the same way?”
