Our Story — From México, Con Amor
It began with an introduction.
Seven chapters, two countries, one leap of faith, a language barrier conquered by charades — and one very long breakfast that never really ended.
Two beginnings
One born in Guadalajara. One born in London.
Born and raised here — a Tapatía whose whole life, family and home are rooted in this city.
Born in London, and moved to the US with his family at nine years old.
An ocean, a language barrier, and nearly six thousand miles between them — and every chapter from here on runs straight back to the same city.
An introduction, written by fate
Margarita and Samir met through an introduction. Carmen and Nick knew Margarita's sister — and through that connection, an introduction was made. If it weren't for a bit of history they all share, this chance meeting would never have happened. Three years later, Margarita and Samir are getting married, with nothing but the utmost gratitude for having found each other — and for celebrating with their dearest loved ones.
He packed his bags and trusted destiny
2020 was a crazy year. By the end of it, Samir decided to pack up his bags and realize a dream of living in México. That December, he and his friends Nick and Carmen — kids in tow — jumped at the opportunity: Samir flew, Nick and family drove. No research, no plan — just jump, and trust destiny. He spent most of 2021 traveling all over México while working remotely, and on weekends (and most weekdays) the country was brimming with adventure. After a year, he moved back to the US and set up shop in Pacific Beach, San Diego.
That first leap put México permanently on the map for Samir. He didn't know it yet — but the country would call him back. This time, love did the calling.
Google Translate and charades
Margarita is a Tapatía — a lady of Guadalajara — a digital marketer who worked for Chivas, the city's famous soccer team. Her family lived in the same neighborhood as Nick and Carmen's home, and her sister runs a nail salon on its ground floor. Through that connection, Margarita first heard the name Samir Doshi. Carmen introduced them by text, and Samir reached out on Instagram — as much as he hates to admit it, Instagram was a key piece of this puzzle. Chats turned into video calls. One problem: Margarita only spoke Spanish, and Samir's Spanish was very rusty. Very, very rusty. So they resorted to Google Translate and everyone's favorite game — charades. The conversations were always unpredictable — usually Samir would say something that made her go “what the…?” — “wait, did he just say that?” And through it all, they smiled every time they talked. That's what you still see today. Those calls became their funniest memories, and something more: by not sharing a language, they listened more intently and communicated with more intention than either had ever experienced.
“¡Eres real!”
They set a date to meet in Guadalajara that December. Samir hadn't been back in over two years. He flew out from San Diego, and the next day he heard Margarita walking down the street saying “¡Eres real!” — no catfishing here. In person she was even more beautiful and bright in spirit than on any screen. They went to a famous breakfast spot and talked for hours; from then on they were inseparable — movies, restaurants, all of Guadalajara, and a road trip to Mazamitla, the Switzerland of México, staying in a cabin in the mountains. It was there, watching Margarita on the cabin porch overlooking the fields, that Samir had a vision: the two of them as grandparents, with the same smiles and the same energy. That's when he knew — she was the one.
Living together by the water
San Diego was never the destination — it was a chapter Samir was closing out. He had set up shop in Pacific Beach and built a life there over a handful of years, and now he was winding it up. They were there for a temporary stretch of it: morning coffees, beach sunsets, and a rhythm that came easy. They adventured all over California — road trips in every direction, In-N-Out an obsession and more often than not the actual reason for the trip. It is where “someday” slowly turned into “always.”
San Diego & California
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A passport full of us
A few more years, a couple of beautiful family destination weddings, and plenty of stamps in the passport — Lisbon in the heat, planes, trains and automobiles, and Samir’s Fast & Furious driving through San Francisco. Connecting México to the US to Europe, always chasing the next new experience. They pretended to speak Portuguese, convinced it was just Spanish with more “shhh” sounds. They were wrong. What every trip taught them is the same thing: home is not a place on the itinerary — it is the person sitting across from you.
She said Sí!
Then the time came to make it official. Samir got the ring and set up a few days in San Francisco — a city Margarita loves. They played tourists while visiting family, and were blessed with one of the clearest days Samir had ever seen there. That morning, with the Golden Gate Bridge behind and a photographer disguised as a tourist, Samir got down on one knee and asked “¿te quieres casar conmigo?” — she said “¡Sí!” Now the journey continues with all of you, our dearest loved ones.
The next chapter is yours to be in.
More stories, more photos, more adventures — more to come, so stay tuned. The best chapter is the one we get to write with you in Guadalajara.
She said Sí — now it's your turn. See you in Guadalajara.