In January 2021, Elizabeth Ives Solomon arrived in Naples, Florida, in a converted Toyota Sienna camper. A thirst for adventure and international travel restrictions due to COVID-19 led us on a month-long road trip to explore the American West and then the Florida coast.
Solomon, a writer and former radio journalist who had been living in Washington, D.C., decided to spend some time in Naples soon after arriving.
Her first stop was the Arthur L. Allen Tennis Center, where she put her mother's advice into practice. “She always told me it's important to have a good game of tennis, because it's a great way to meet people,” said Solomon, 58.
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She quickly befriended an Austrian woman in her 70s who agreed to be her play partner. During the first match, Solomon became distracted.
“I noticed a very handsome man walking onto the court next to me,” Solomon said, recalling the first time he laid eyes on Jero Klaus Geilenbrugge. She overheard Mr. Geilenbrügge speaking German with his tennis partner and asked a friend who also spoke German to introduce him.
The foursome struck up a conversation (in English) and set up a date to all play tennis the following week. A rainstorm halted those plans. But Solomon and Geilenbrugge gathered anyway for a stroll on a misty public beach. Under a cloud of gray, the two found themselves free spirits who shared a passion for travel and new experiences.
“We walked for two hours,” Geilenbrugge, 56, recalls. “It was great, and she really liked that I was so open.”
He told Solomon that he had a teenage son with a previous relationship, and in 2000 he moved from Berlin to the United States, seeking a slower pace of life in exchange for a busy career as a tax lawyer. He talked about his decision to move to the United States. He currently works as a real estate broker at Waterfront Realty Group in Naples. He received his law degree from the University of Trier, Germany.
Solomon, who earned a bachelor's degree in history from Yale University, gave details about her life, including living in a van, sleeping in parking lots and bathing in public showers on beaches. was not disclosed. Her “cover story” was that she had been in an accident at her cousin's apartment building 20 minutes north of Naples.
The two started spending more time together, having dinner at Mr. Geilenbrugge's villa in Naples and playing matches on the tennis court where they met, but Solomon said his late mother would be happy. I knew it would be.
“I could see her sitting on a cloud, clapping on a cloud, saying, 'Look, Beth, I told you so,'” Solomon said.
A few weeks later, she shamefully revealed her living situation to Mr. Geilenbrugge. “He just looked at me and said, 'That's so cool,'” Solomon recalled. “I thought, 'Wow.' He's the only guy in Naples who thinks like this.”
Mr. Solomon slowly began to carry his belongings to Mr. Geilenbrugge's house. “We were never annoyed with each other, which was a big thing, especially when we met later in life,” Geilenbrugge said.
The two traveled together many times, including a spontaneous vacation to Helsinki, Finland, and a trip to Germany, where Mr. Geilenbrügge took Mr. Solomon to his extended family in Düsseldorf. Introduced to. They also purchased a sailing ship.
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In October 2023, the couple embarked on a humanitarian trip to Malawi with CARE, a nonprofit organization that fights world hunger. Ms. Solomon was involved in fundraising for the organization. Both were struck by the tenacity of the many people they met. At the end of one day, Solomon felt especially remorseful.
“We were riding this bus and bouncing out of this village,” she recalled. “I just said, 'Honey, I think we should get engaged.'”
Geilenbrugge agreed without hesitation. “I’m a quiet person, but I have very high expectations,” he said. “And I think she's absolutely perfect. She's the kindest person, the most generous person.”
That night, they celebrated their decision by sipping cocktails and watching the sunset on Lake Malawi.
The couple married on December 26th on the same beach in Naples where they had their first date. Several onlookers nearby burst into applause as the couple announced their marriage.
“Although it was a very small and private ceremony, we were not separated from the people around us,” Solomon said. “It was open to anyone who wanted to experience the joy we feel for each other.”
Mayor Teresa Heitman, a friend of the couple, who was ordained by the Universal Life Church for the event, officiated. Noah Rose, Geilenbrugge's son and attendant, and Jessica Solomon, Solomon's niece and maid of honor, were also in attendance.
“I was happy,” Solomon said of her life before moving to Florida. “But I never knew that life could be so rich and fulfilling until I met Vomit.”
