He left Germany without her contact information – Then refused to let the story end there. Yet somehow found his way back to her 27 years ago…
In May 1998, Tom Latkovic and Kim met by chance in a Munich youth hostel, but forgot to exchange contact information
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Tom Latkovic with Kim Latkovic in the ’90s and now.Credit : Kate Latkovic
When Tom Latkovic woke up the morning after meeting a woman named Kim while traveling through Germany, he realized he had one major problem.
The pair had spent the previous night talking for hours after meeting by chance in the elevator of a youth hostel in Munich in May 1998. Kim was backpacking through Europe with a friend, while Tom was traveling on his own. Despite having just met, the connection was immediate. They wandered to a nearby beer garden with friends, stayed up late getting to know one another and eventually went their separate ways for the night.
The next morning, however, they realized they had forgotten one crucial detail: They had never exchanged contact information. Both were scheduled to leave Munich for different cities that day, and rather than accepting that their chance encounter had come to an end, Tom came up with one last plan.
“He went to the most public place in the city center and volunteered with a street performer in hopes my mom would be walking around and find him,” their daughter, Kate Latkovic, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “And she did.”
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The chance reunion changed the course of both of their lives. After finding each other again, Tom and Kim spent the rest of their European trips traveling together before eventually returning separately to the United States.
They kept their relationship going long distance, introduced each other to their families and, roughly six months later, became engaged. Less than a year after first meeting by chance in Munich, they married on Sept. 4, 1999, and eventually had Kate and her two brothers.
Looking back, one of Tom’s friends seemed to know exactly where the relationship was headed. The night Tom and Kim met, he wrote a simple prediction in his journal: “10 bucks Tom marries her.”
Today, more than 25 years later, Kim still has the note Tom handed her that morning, while his friend’s journal entry hangs framed inside the family’s home.
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For Kate, now 25, the story has been part of family lore for as long as she can remember, and watching her parents build a marriage that lasted has shaped the way she approaches relationships today.
“My parents are my best friends, biggest inspirations and ultimate role models — both as individuals and as a couple,” the content creator based in Dallas, Texas tells PEOPLE. “Their relationship has set the standard for the type of relationship I hope to have for myself.”
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It was that perspective that recently inspired Kate to share her parents’ story in a TikTok video, which has since amassed more than 1.6 million views.
As someone navigating the dating world herself, Kate says the story felt especially meaningful to share.
“I wanted to give people hope and encouragement that it does exist,” she says. “That it is possible.”
“As a single girl in her 20s navigating the dating world, I’ve recognized how different things are from when my parents were my age,” she adds. “From my perspective and in my experience, there are a lot less men who want to pursue, to lead, to put in effort, to provide, to be vulnerable.”
Although Kate’s content often centers on dating and relationships, she says this video was about something bigger than a meet-cute. Instead, she hoped it would remind others that healthy, lasting love is still possible.
“So many women are experiencing this too,” she says. “I wanted to remind others to never settle for less than what they desire and to know that healthy, lasting love does exist.”
The response, she says, was overwhelmingly emotional, with thousands of commenters sharing that the story gave them hope, not simply because of the extraordinary way her parents met, but because of the marriage they built afterward.
“I was ultimately just so happy to see the reactions and read through the comments and messages about others feeling encouraged and hopeful,” she says.
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After nearly three decades together, Tom and Kim say the secret to their marriage isn’t complicated.
“Work,” Tom tells PEOPLE exclusively.
“Forgiveness and work,” Kim adds.
Together, they hope their story reminds others that lasting love is still worth pursuing.
“I hope it inspires people to be more ambitious and loving in relationships,” Tom says. “Too many people are giving up. Love demands an incredible amount, but it’s worth it.”
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For Kate, hearing that message throughout her life has reinforced one lesson above all else.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that love is a choice,” she says. “It takes work, forgiveness, humility, commitment, empathy, compassion, effort and investment.”
“True, real love isn’t just when life is fun or going your way,” she adds. “It’s who holds you when you’re drowning, who fights for you when you’re struggling, and who chooses you even when you’re hard to be chosen.”
