Crossing the Atlantic for Love

In my last blog I wrote about a date which ended up costing me ALOT of money, it was a dinner date at home and in order to keep the kids upstairs I bribed my son with a new PlayStation - my son did as he was told and so I kept up my end of the bargain (I've not won the lottery, it was second hand). Sadly the bloke never contacted me again - note to self: never cook for a man you're trying to impress.

Anyway, my most recent date 'trumps' the last one in so many ways... THIS is the most expensive date I've ever been on and I really can't afford for my dates to keep inflating in this manner!

As the title suggests, I recently flew across the Atlantic in my quest for love aka for a date. No, you didn't misread that; I met a guy on tinder and, having never met him, I booked a flight and 7hr 45 mins across the globe to meet him. No, I'm not so desperate I set my tinder radius to 5,567 km (yes, I googled it) there's an explanation for this mad act.

Okay, here's some context - In late June 2015, I matched on tinder with a rather good-looking young man, who at the time waws only 20.5 km away. We got talking, he didn't give any "motorboat" one-liners, like the one I received recently (see below), he was perfectly lovely with an awesome personality. I must have been slightly distracted because I didn't see job description: "actor on a cruise line.... AMERICAN" - my new match was only 20.5 km away for less than 24 hours before he sailed out of my reach, however, the idea of him was out of reach before I had realised it.

Despite the difference in lifestyle and the small issue of copious land and sea separating us, we continued chatting almost every day since we 'matched', until one day I had enough. I couldn't handle having a strong connection with someone I'd never met and would possibly never meet - it was do or die, I had to meet him and see if it was real.

I realise that flying to America to meet a man I'd never met before could have been quite literally "do or die" but l had a very strong feeling that I'd be fine - I had been emailing, calling and Skyping him for nine months (but I also had friends addresses in New York that I could escape too if he turned out to be crazy).

When I arrived at the airport he was there, donned in a suit and carrying a sign with his pet name for me, "chuck". Initially, I couldn't read the sign as my eyes were welling up with happy tears (happy to see him and that I hadn't been 'catfished').

Hugging my American hunk hello (in real life) felt weird... Because it didn't actually feel weird, it felt so natural being in his presence. After being online pen-pals for so long I had spent 7hours+ in the sky worried that we wouldn't hit it off, I needn't have worried.

My stay in New York with my American hunk was a complete blur of pure happiness, excitement, tourism and bright lights! I'm so glad that I was "mad" enough to take the risk and meet someone that I adored from afar. Who knows what will happen in the future but if distance and circumstances have their way then, at the very least, my American hunk will be a lifetime friend.

My adventure to New York, in which I took a massive risk, taught me how I deserve to be treated and if it's not going to be my American hunk I shouldn't settle for less. My trip has taught me to make my own life adventures instead of waiting for it to come to me, my life won't change if I continue to sit on my sofa watching Gogglebox in my PJ's. The "Love Actually" airport scene isn't just for the movies, I should know, I lived it through my own happy tears. 

Have I gone mad? Maybe so. But let me tell you a secret....all the best people are. ( Alice in Wonderland)