Jenny Haro Paz and Michael Daniels may not have a New Year's resolution yet, but they do have a goal for 2008: to move to Hawai'i.

"It's that aloha spirit," said Daniels, 28, a history teacher in Philadelphia. "People are extremely nice. There's a mindset that's not so uptight."

Daniels and Haro Paz got married on Aug. 13 at St. Augustine Church in Honolulu, with a reception at the Sheraton Waikiki.

Before their wedding, neither had ever visited Hawai'i.

"We thought it would be kinda neat to get married here," Daniels said.

They chose the Islands because of their location: halfway between the East Coast, where they both live, and Japan, where they met.

"We saw it as symbolic," Daniels said.

The two met in October 2002 at a reggae club in Tokyo.

Daniels was teaching English and American studies with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme; Haro Paz, who's from Peru, was there teaching Spanish.

Daniels spotted Haro Paz in the nightclub and started dancing with her.

"I'm not gonna lie, I saw a beautiful girl dancing and wearing all red," Daniels said, laughing.

They exchanged phone numbers that night.

Within two months, Haro Paz moved in with Daniels in Saitama City.

Though she didn't speak English well and he didn't know Spanish, the two somehow connected.

"A Marine friend of mine gave me a Spanish-English dictionary and told me, 'Dude, learn a few verbs every day so when you talk to her, you don't sound like a tool,' " Daniels said. "I'm glad I listened."

During that year of dating, the couple traveled all over Asia. Daniels spent a lot of time with her relatives in Japan, learning more about a culture so foreign to the Philadelphia native. But after a year of teaching, Daniels wanted to move back home.

They agreed that he would go first and find a job. Haro Paz would come later.

By this point, Daniels knew this wasn't just a fleeting relationship. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

"I just really saw no end in sight," Daniels said. "Jenny is a beautiful woman (who) rocked my world. I love the fact that she is smart, sophisticated and knows what she wants."

After two months apart, Haro Paz flew from Japan to Philadelphia to live with Daniels.

The transition to a new place wasn't easy. The most challenging part for Haro Paz was the language barrier.

"I'm still learning English and how we do things in America," said Haro Paz, 31, who works as a translator for an environmental engineering company.

But, added Daniels: "That's all been part of the fun."

Though they come from different parts of the world, they found they were more similar than different.

Both love to travel and learn about the histories and cultures of new places.

"We try to pull the best parts out of the Japanese, Latino and American cultures and put them together in a way that helps us define 'us,' " Daniels said.

On March 28, 2005, the two decided to get married in a civil ceremony in Philadelphia.

But they wanted a religious ceremony as well.

They chose Hawai'i because of its central location for the family and friends they wanted to invite.

About 30 guests from Japan, Peru, Chile, France, Norway and Philadelphia made the trek to Honolulu.

Even their wedding had an international flair. They flew flags from the United States, Peru and Japan, and served sake and Italian wine at the reception.

"We gave everyone their props," Daniels said, laughing.

The two are still living in Philadelphia. Daniels is finishing up his master's degree in education administration from Penn State, with plans on starting an educational program for international students in Hawai'i in 2008.

While they're setting their sights on the Islands, they still remember to enjoy every step it'll take to get here.

"The whole thing with us is it's not the destination as much as it is the journey," Daniels said. "It's all part of having fun."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.