It all started with a photo.
Nieves Montano had photographed an event for Ben's Bells and posted a picture on Instagram.
She noticed Erick Garcia, a 32-year-old engineer in Nogales, Sonora had liked the image.
The photo that started it all.
"The first image I saw of her was a very suggestive image that calls for tolerance, that image said "Be Kind"...You rarely find such an image on Instagram," Erick said. "For that reason I began to follow her."
A few days later Nieves, 28, posted a photo of the Virgin Mary Auxiliatrix.
He identified with the photo since he went to a Catholic elementary school in Hidalgo, a province of Mexico, and in that school they "venerated Mary Auxilatrix," Erick said.
"Up until that moment, I didn't know she spoke Spanish or her roots or anything about her life," Erick said. "Her professional work stood out in what she was doing."
Nieves was surprised he knew who was in that photo.
"For me it was like 'oh wow, this guy knows all about the Catholic faith,'" Nieves said. "So he commented on it and I answered him back, so from then on we were liking each other's pictures and getting to know each other through our pictures."
Nieves enjoyed Erick's photos, as well. They showed his culture and things he is passionate about. He took notice of the bright, colorful images she posted. They made him feel connected to her.
"I later saw that she took colorful pictures full of life, mixtures of whites, lots of light and also wrote about the image," Erick said. "I felt a connection between what I read and saw, and she made a connection with her audience and with me. It just makes me vibrate to this day when she uploads a photo or updates her blog. I just love it."
After going back and forth on Instagram and Skype (one time until 5 a.m.), the couple decided to meet in person.
Erick came to Tucson and they went to Lindy's for a burger.
"It felt like we had known each other for a long time," Nieves said.
They officially started dating July 24, 2016.
"Love knows no borders," Nieves said. "Our story is proof of that."
Whenever the couple gets together, they go on photo walks and document the local scene. They especially love going to local events and trying local foods. You can follow their adventures on Instagram: @nievesmontano and @tzin.garcia
You can read Nieves' blog here.
To celebrate Valentine's Day, we are telling Tucson's best love stories for the first 14 days of February.
First impressions
Nieves: On Instagram, I felt that he was a very creative person. Very philosophical and very passionate about life. When I met him in person I could reinforce those things because our dates would be going to local events and cultural stuff. That's what we were into. We would take pictures. We like documenting things we see. We do that together a lot. There's an air of wisdom about him that I liked.
Erick: Her kindness always stood out, her humanitarian character and gentle qualities that today are very rare to find and more if we talk about social networks. When I met her in person, it was her charisma, her eternal smile so genuine, full of life, love, sweetness that captivated me. I could see that she was a woman who is very much a mix between the character of a traditional woman and a modern woman, things that I always looked for.
Favorite quality
Nieves: It has to be just one thing? I think he's a very compassionate person. He also has an air of wisdom. I could go to him for advice. He's my best friend.
Erick: I fell in love with her humble character. I had never met someone who was like that on the internet, much less in person. She has a deep feeling for humanity and all living beings without forgetting her spiritual part and her beliefs about herself, and God.
Nieves Montano and Erick Garcia at Barrio Viejo, one of their favorite Tucson places.
Defining moment
Nieves: There were a lot of things. For me it was how comfortable I felt. I could talk with him about anything it it just felt really natural. I didn't feel like i had to be someone else. And I was like if I can feel this comfortable talking about anything or enjoy doing what I do on my own with someone else, this is working out pretty good.
Erick: The moment I realized that we had so much character compatibility, our lives were so parallel, we could almost guess what each other thought. Also, because she had an interest in seeing me, meeting me in person but feeling an awesome fear of jumping to a physical plane. That encouraged me to be the one who had the decision to propose to see those eyes and to feel that she really was that woman with whom I want to have a relationship and walk through life.
Quirky or endearing habit
Nieves: He tends to be very clean and very organized, which I kind of like...Some people would think that's weird.
Erick: Many things...Taking photos was the thing that united us, a habit that we continue to have. Every time we see each other we go out on photo walks and are always accompanied by our cameras, always taking pictures of colorful things. Also her food is delicious. She cooks with a mix between Mexican cuisine with vegetarian touches and always adorns her dishes so colorfully.
Nieves Montano and Erick Garcia met on Instagram and have been together for almost a year.
Advice for couples in long distance relationships
Nieves: I'm not gonna lie. At first I thought about it and I was a little hesitant because I thought about the distance. It's not just a different city. It's a different country. My parents were in a long distance marriage for a while, so I thought about it. I wasn't sure what would happen. But, I think we've been making it work. I think communication is important for any couple, but if you're in a long distance relationship, communicating your feelings and having consistent and quality communication is important...We see each other when we can. We talk on the phone every day. Or we have Skype dates when we can't see each other. I think for long distance, it's communication and patience.
Erick: May they always be themselves, never lose their charisma and integrity about who they are, never betray themselves, follow their hearts and that voice that we all have had since we were little children. Be sincere first with themselves then with the other person and always be very clear about where they want to be, setting short and long term goals.
