Woman surprises her adventurous boyfriend by confronting her worst fear: ‘I’m mortified to…’

It is often said that love is the most powerful thing in the world, and a lover just proved it. To support her boyfriend, a woman flew across states, hopped on a bus, and overcame her worst fear to show up at the sports tournament he was competing in. Lindsay Phillips, who goes by @linds8775 on TikTok, left the internet with that fuzzy, warm feeling when she posted a FaceTime recording of her boyfriend, Ethan Adams, reacting to her big surprise. Phillips explained what had motivated her to fly across the country to share a special moment with her person.

Originally, the couple had planned to drive all the way to the location in Atlantic City to see Adams compete at his professional paintball tournament. It would be the first time Phillips would watch her boyfriend play a major tournament. “I hadn’t got a chance to really see him play at one of these big games,” she told PEOPLE. Her bags were packed and ready to go until a family emergency halted her plans, and she was forced to stay back while he left for the games. Phillips had not given up yet. Her love for Adams burned brighter than her fear of flying. She booked herself a flight ticket from Richmond to Philadelphia, and then took a bus to reach the location. 

The big surprise plan was going smoothly until Adams asked Phillips to turn on the camera during a FaceTime call. He was suspicious about her whereabouts since the video is always turned on during the calls. No way out, Phillips knew her surprise was set to unveil. She turned on the camera and flaunted the view out of her bus window, and then asked him to pick her up from the bus stop. The precious moment of truth now remains etched in a heartwarming corner of the internet. In a TikTok clip with 2.6 million views, Phillips shared Adams’ priceless reaction to the grand surprise. 

“Asking my boyfriend to come get me from the airport after I flew and bused across states to surprise him for his tournament,” she penned in an overlay text on the video. Drawing from his boyfriend turning into a ball of joy, Phillips added, “Proof that showing up always matters.” Their conversation had begun with a questionable look on Adams’s face as he tried to figure out where his girlfriend was. Even when she revealed what she was up to, he could barely believe her. Then suddenly, the moment of realization came, and pure joy took over his face. “The sweetest surprise. Also, watch him glitch as he is processing where I am,” the caption noted. 

In the PEOPLE interview, Phillips got candid about her fear of flying. “I didn’t go to bed that night because I never fly. Like, I hadn’t flown in like 12 years. I’m mortified to fly, and I was scared I was going to miss my flight… I love supporting my people, and I just think it's very important to show up,” she recalled. When Adams realized what she had done, he was awestruck at how she had taken the flight alone and traveled across states just to be there for him. This was the first big, unforgettable surprise in their relationship, and Phillips hopes this will fuel their love and commitment. 

You can follow @linds8775 on TikTok for more videos.