EXCLUSIVE: Colorado woman who fell in love with a LIFE MODEL while painting him while on vacation in Italy moves 5,500 miles to be with him — and they’re now happily married

A woman who fell in love with the model she was painting for an art class during a visit to Italy has told how the pair ended up in a whirlwind romance and tied the knot after she moved more than 5,000 miles to be with him are.

Katrin Schroeder, 32, from Colorado, took a life modeling class while visiting Florence. There she met her muse and husband-to-be, Andrés Escalante, 35, who posed for a group of artists.

Although both Katrin and Andrés were both in a relationship, they couldn’t deny that there was an instant spark between them.

And just a month later, they were both single and moving toward each other again.

In September 2019, Katrin helped her then-boyfriend move to Switzerland and decided to travel through Europe.

The following month she found herself in Italy and decided to take a life modeling course.

It was here that she came face to face with Andrés, who modeled for the class.

Katrin said: ‘I was super anxious. I saw Andrés – I thought: “This model is super beautiful.”

“I had no intentions with Andrés, but our eyes finally met.”

Andrés asked Katrin out for drinks and the pair decided to become friends.

‘He seemed very respectful. We ended up exchanging Instagram [accounts]’, Katrien added.

Katrin spent time exploring Florence with Andrés, before heading back to visit her friend in Switzerland and then continuing her European trip to Croatia.

After splitting from her boyfriend, the 32-year-old returned to Italy a month later to study art, only to discover Andrés was also single.

The couple began spending more time together — until Katrin was forced to return home to Colorado due to COVID.

However, the pair kept in touch despite being 5,000 miles apart.

‘We were licking wounds together. “We were supportive friends,” she said.

Katrin was surprised when he received a random call from Andrés a few weeks after the lockdown.

‘It was a surprising call. The next week he called me again,” she said.

‘Gradually it became more frequent and then hours a day. He was talking about things he would show me when I got to Florence.

“Towards the end of the summer I thought, ‘I actually really like this guy.’ Does he feel the same?’

They talked on the phone for hours until they both realized they had feelings for each other.

In September, Italy announced a travel change that allowed partners to visit their significant other if they were residents.

But because she didn’t know if Andrés felt the same way she did, Katrin didn’t know how to bring up the idea.

She said: ‘In October I got a call from Andrés – he was really distraught.

‘He said Italy is going into lockdown again and asked if I had found a way to get there. I brought up the travel amendment and told him that if you write a letter to the Italian government, I have a chance to come and see you.

“He said, ‘I’ll get you everything you need.'”

In November 2020, Katrin traveled to Florence – flying via New York and Amsterdam, with all the laws printed in different languages.

She said, “I had an inch of thick paper. He was waiting for me when I arrived.’

Katrin had already found an apartment, but two weeks after arriving in Florence, Italy went into lockdown again, so the loving couple decided to spend it together.

Their relationship quickly blossomed and Andrés asked Katrin to be his girlfriend in December 2020.

But in January 2021, Katrin’s visa application was rejected.

However, the couple had a plan to stay together – even if it was a little “crazy.”

“Andrés came to my class and asked me to get something to drink,” Katrin said.

“We got pictures of Bailey and Andrés said, ‘Would it be weird if we got married?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’m down.'”

Katrin was finally able to reunite with Andrés nine months later and he asked her to marry him. They tied the knot in September 2021 and now live happily together in Italy.

‘It’s all very astonishing. It’s really crazy,” Katrin said.

Andres added, “When I first saw her, I thought she was really beautiful.

‘It really blossomed during the lockdown when she was away in the US. It’s a whirlwind. We have become each other’s muses.’

In March 2021, they were able to meet in Aruba to try to sort out their paperwork, but they had difficulty sorting this out with the Italian government.

Andrés was able to stay with Katrin in Colorado for two months before the couple returned to Italy in May 2021.

The couple married in September 2021 – and their families were able to fly over to join them as restrictions were lifted.

“I met his mother in person two days earlier,” Katrin said.

Andrés added: ‘The day was beautiful.’

Katrin finally got her visa arranged in June 2023 and the couple is now looking forward to the future together.

“We’re building a life together,” she said.