He didn't smell too great and lived under a bush. However, no matter the stench or lack of housing, one woman couldn't help falling for his captivating brown eyes and adventurous spirit.
With two beautiful young girls, husband Vic Kocula and wife Emmy Abrahamson live a fairytale life together in Switzerland.
One would have never believed that Kocula, now a successful family man, had no roof over his head just over a decade ago.
Vic Kocula and Emmy Abrahamson. | Source: twitter.com/bbc5live youtube.com/Nyhetsmorgon
A STRANGE COLLISION
An accomplished writer and Masters degree-bearer, 30-year-old Abrahamson was on a working trip to Amsterdam in 2006. Sitting on a park bench, she was unaware that her life was about to change forever.
A ruffled man, clearly homeless, came and asked her for the time. He did so even though there was a massive clock in front of them.
Emmy Abrahamson. | Source: youtube.com/This Morning
SPARKS FLY
As he sat next to her, the two engaged in a conversation. This stranger managed to pique Abrahamson's interest. When she had to leave, he asked if he could see her again, the writer recalled:
"His exact words were, 'Saturday, 3'0 clock, the same bench and he just walked off, and I was like, 'What?' [sic]."
With five days to think about the proposition, the writer couldn't get the stranger out of her head. She decided to meet him there as he had asked, only to find that he was absent.
Vic Kocula. | Source: youtube.com/This Morning
A DEEPER CONNECTION
Kocula eventually arrived on a children's bicycle 20 minutes late, as he assumed she wouldn't show up. Abrahamson recollected that they had a beautiful date together:
"We spent the next six hours together, walking around Amsterdam, having a picnic, and getting to know each other."
She found out that he was from Canada, was 25 years old, and was homeless due to a backpacking trip gone wrong.
Vic Kocula and Emmy Abrahamson. | Source: youtube.com/This Morning
PARTING WAYS FOREVER
Spending more time with him, the 30-year-old began to fall in love. Sadly, she had to return to her home city of Vienna, in Austria. Kocula had no money or phone to contact her, but she gave him her number anyway, saying:
"I didn't know if I was ever going to see him again. I hoped I would, and I couldn't stop thinking about him."
Around a month went by when her Prince Charming surprisingly called, letting her know he was in Vienna. Determined to find Abrahamson, the homeless individual managed to find the money to take a train to his desired destination.
Emmy Abrahamson holding her and Vic Kocula’s daughters when they were babies. | Source: youtube.com/This Morning
IT'S ONLY UP FROM HERE
From there, the pair's relationship bloomed. However, having fallen into drinking too much alcohol to cope with being on the streets, Kocula had to make a radical change. His now-wife said:
"Vic decided by himself that he needed to curb his drinking, and he did."
Not only that, but his life improved drastically in many areas. For one, Abrahamson encouraged him to get a degree, which he eventually did, in mechanical engineering.
GOOD INFLUENCES
However, it wasn't only Abrahamson who improved the quality of Kocula's life. According to the wife and mother, he made a massive positive influence on her, expressing:
"Some people see me as having ‘saved’ Vic, but I think it’s the other way around. He showed me that you don’t need much to be content, and he makes me laugh every day."
This beautiful couple's story proves that we all have something to offer, no matter our social status or how much money we make.
Alice Crawford surrounded by snow [left], Jill Rosenow with her daughter, Alice Crawford and her family [right]. | Photo: youtube.com/9news facebook.com/rosenow528
A PARENT'S LOVE
Of course, Kocula is just one of the numerous individuals around the globe who were or are homeless and dependent on substances -- a tragic scenario that some never escape.
Of course, many loved ones do all they can to assist their friend or relative in getting off the streets. One mother, Jill Rosenow, was determined to help her homeless and addicted daughter Alice Crawford.
After Crawford ran away from rehab, she vanished for months. Continuously searching, her mother was shocked to suddenly see her little girl on television.
Denver's 9News was conducting interviews with homeless people -- in this case, they talked to Crawford. Relatives immediately jumped on a plane to Denver. They contacted the individual who interviewed her.
Despite all this, her family found her by pure chance, as she used a restroom. Mom and daughter had reunited with one another alongside the hope that Crawford would turn her life around, just like Kocula.
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jmtvbm1ibXq0wcKcnKyrlqq5bsPOppinZZ2asrW%2FjKGmpp2cmsC0ecClmqign6G2b7TTpqM%3D