A woman has revealed how she crammed “a month’s worth of dates” into one long weekend after meeting a man on Bumble while travelling.
Eliz, a preschool teacher and content creator, deleted all her dating apps in 2020 when she decided to embark on a healing journey and travel the world alone.
But fate had other plans.
Re-downloading Bumble three years later, while in Singapore, the 28-year-old met a man who she clicked with straight away.
The pair spent 15 hours together on a first date that was so amazing, they didn’t want to party ways.
So the handsome stranger decided to reschedule his flight home – which was due the next day – and stayed for an additional few days.
“We just met at a cafe and we clicked immediately talking about life stories,” Eliz, originally from the Philippines, told http://Needtoknow.co.uk .
“We are both so open to each other and we even shared about our past traumas and learnings in life in the first hour.
“I did not even bother how he looked or how I looked, the conversation mattered more to me.
“His job did not even matter in the conversation but it is how I felt so safe when I was with him
“Dating him while travelling showed me that dating is supposed to be about two people and nothing else.
“As magical and cheesy as it may sound, I felt that the world stopped for us in those five days.
“We even had Taylor Swift’s “Enchanted” as our song because the lyrics of the song really spoke about our travel date story.”
After the jam-packed 72 hours of dates, the man – who Eliz refers to only as ‘M’ for privacy reasons – left a lasting impact on her view of dating.
She said: “He made me feel so seen and safe during the time we were together and he was the reason why I got inspired to come out of my comfort zone now and be a travel content creator.
“After we met for the first date which lasted 15 hours, he decided to rebook his flight and spend the next few days with me.
“This action of his made me feel so special and if I am going to be honest, he actually helped to raise my standards with men, too.
“ I also felt that he made me see that I am deserving of a good treatment and that helped me gain more confidence in terms of dating and choosing a man to date in general.
“Having travel dates with him gave me such a good experience and so much learning, too.
“Now, I am more keen and hopeful to meet my life partner while traveling. I feel that traveling will allow me to get to know a person better.”
She admitted that, following her dates with M, she is now more open to dating men with children – something she had previously avoided.
She said: “It was easier for me to accept that he was divorced and has kids.
“I went home that day tearing up and feeling happy because I had never imagined that I would have the heart to accept someone’s previous marriage and kids, even if it is just a casual date.
“I learned that it is important to get to know the person first for who he truly is and now he is one of the people who has made an impact in my life.”
Despite her joyful experience of travel dating, she warned that it’s not something everyone can do.
Eliz only recommends travel dating to those able to easily set boundaries as parting can be bittersweet.
She said: “Travel dating can end up very painful and is not advisable for everyone to try.
“Especially those who find it hard to let go of someone they got attached to.
“Travel dating is a risk so you have to guard your heart well.”
Sharing her date on Instagram (@eliztravelsto ), she was praised by hundreds of people for her openness.
Polly wrote: “That is a bitter sweet!!! Why not give it a try!! It’s sad for me to end such a great chemistry!!!!” [sic]
Another person commented: “This is so freaking cute omg need this in a rom com nowwww!” [sic]
“How cute is this! I hope you guys reconnect in the future,” someone else said.
Isla added: “omg this is so cute what incredible memories!!” [sic]
Eliz also shared her safety tips for travel dating tips, including making sure that you notify others of your whereabouts and getting to know your date first.
She added: “Always make sure to meet in places that are not sketchy – meet in public places instead for your safety.
“Don’t accept open drinks that are out of your sight because they might be spiked or drugged.
“Get to know the person via text first and have a feel of the person’s vibe – follow your instincts.
“Let someone know when you go on travel dates and your whereabouts for safety.”
ENDS
