Ethan and Hila share the story of their early days together in Santa Cruz, California. After Hila finished her army service, she moved to the US with only $1,000 and joined Ethan, who also had very little money. They struggled to find jobs, and their situation became dire, with only $20 left in their bank account at one point. They even had to put back a red bell pepper at the grocery store because they couldn't afford it.
In a desperate attempt to make ends meet, they started selling weed, but only for a short period. They made enough money to pay rent and start saving, and soon after, they both found better jobs and quit selling drugs.
Ethan reflects on their journey, acknowledging that their love story is one of true love, and that Hila has been the source of all his blessings. They poke fun at their past struggles, with Ethan joking that he can now afford to buy many bell peppers, even though he doesn't particularly like them.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The story begins 8 years ago, in 2009.
2. Hila had just finished the Army and told her conservative and protective family she was going to move to California to live with a guy she met on Skype.
3. Hila moved to California with $1000.
4. Ethan had $1000 in his bank account at the time.
5. Hila couldn't open a bank account because she only had a travel visa.
6. Ethan and Hila shared a bank account due to necessity.
7. They were struggling to find jobs in Santa Cruz, California, due to the bad economy.
8. Ethan and Hila went to a yogurt shop to apply for a job, but the owner showed them a stack of 200 resumes he had received in just 3 days.
9. Ethan and Hila were struggling to make ends meet, and their money was dwindling.
10. Hila was considering going back home to Israel because they couldn't afford to pay rent.
11. Ethan's housemate's boyfriend was a drug dealer and offered Ethan a job selling weed.
12. Ethan and Hila decided to sell weed to make some money, and they invested $400 in a bag of weed.
13. They had to put back a red bell pepper at the grocery store because they couldn't afford it.
14. Ethan and Hila started selling weed, but only for a couple of weeks.
15. Ethan found a job waiting tables, and Hila became a babysitter, so they quit selling weed.
16. They were happy with their new jobs and started saving money.
17. Ethan and Hila have been together for 8 years and consider each other their true love.