I’ve written in the past about meeting people on the road. Whether it be in hostels, on tours, in pubs or through Tinder, travelers meet new people constantly and sometimes find someone special.

That’s what has happened to me over the past few weeks. I met my Guayaco man (man from Guayaquil) in the Galápagos. I didn’t expect him, I didn’t see him coming toward me at all, but he has come into my life very quickly and has gifted me with smiles, laughter and happiness.

As someone who travels solo and often experiences the most exhilarating, life altering, mind-blowing situations alone, it’s so great when I have wonderful new friends to share things with. But being able to share these moments with a man I’ve connected with, someone who sees me for who I am and is so happy to share these life changing moments with me, explodes my world.

I fell in love with Ecuador as soon as I arrived, but now being able to spend time here with an Ecuadorian who is proud of his country and loves to show everything this amazing place has to offer, has made my time here a million times more special.

I have had the most fun snorkeling in one of the greatest places in the world, flying through the clouds on a zip-line, hiking up waterfalls, exploring cities, and watching Jurassic Park in English at the cinema. My Guayaco loves music, particularly salsa. Listening to Ecuadorian salsa in a club on La Rhonda, or dancing to salsa music in a room ourselves, I’ve experienced brand new things here that have filled me with joy. The past few weeks have been some of the most amazing of my life. Spending my days with a man who adds so much light and laughter to every situation has brought me immeasurable happiness.

But I’m a traveler. My life is about being on the move and now I need to leave. I’m once again zipping my backpack and booking my next cities. Leaving is something backpackers deal with all the time, it’s our life, but sometimes it’s really hard. Especially because I don’t want to leave yet. The intensity of the past few weeks has caused me to become addicted to this amazing Guayaco and I want to find him again.

Yes his ego is three times the size of his own head, and yes he is a fiery, passionate Latino who does sometimes needs to be brought back down to earth, but he will probably say the same thing about me. “My Gringa,” he would say, “is stubborn. And she hates to be wrong. But she is an amazing traveler and love being with her.”

So I’m not going to give him up yet. My Guayaco is the first person I’ve met in my travels that I truly want to find a way back to. He challenges me, pushes me to do things I’m unsure of, encourages me and celebrates with me. He is constantly teaching me without even realising he’s doing it. I love being with him, spending time with him, playing with him and want to do it some more.