One summer season I used to be touring solo in Italy with my canine, Oscar, completely having fun with la dolce vita in locations like Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Sicily, throughout what I known as my “Profitable Woman Summer season”. I had simply turned 35, bought my first apartment in full, completed a handful of wonderful journey collaborations, plus a couple of group journeys, and most significantly, I used to be maintaining with my objective of specializing in work first that yr, as an alternative of relationship. I undoubtedly deserved a summer season of indulging in Italy with my hard-earned success, and undoubtedly didn’t want no man to help me!
The truth is, I used to be so over looking for a person who can sustain with a girl who travels the world for a dwelling, that a part of my plans for the yr included freezing my eggs in Barcelona! So I manifested a yr of labor and life success, and low key manifested solely assembly somebody completely different from my regular poisonous selections; maybe somebody older for as soon as, and financially-happy.
Anyway, I made a decision to randomly go to Sardinia to see the attractive blue waters and in addition some potential funding properties. After I introduced I used to be going there on social media, a girl with a journey planning firm noticed my submit, and reached out to ask if I would be fascinated about doing a final minute collaboration the place she’s from in an space known as Ogliastra (which can also be a Blue Zone!).
The primary boat journey I did alongside the Baunei Coast, not understanding I would find yourself transferring there!
That space was additionally the place the up and coming Insta-famous Baunei Coast is, and the place I had wished to take a look at as properly, however was leaning in direction of skipping it since it could require about six hours further of driving. But it surely appeared too fateful to move up! After exploring the world I first wished to see; the Maddalena Islands and Costa Smeralda, I headed south to the little city the place she was internet hosting me, known as Tortoli.
A part of the collaboration included a sailboat experience alongside the Baunei Coast, which was precisely what I had hoped to do there, and it was as beautiful because the photographs I’d seen on social media. The opposite a part of the tour was visiting a vineyard to strive native Sardinian wines, since she knew I really like wine, and she or he wished me to indicate different points of the world in addition to the seashores.
However we spent an excessive amount of time on the sailboat, seemingly on account of Prosecco and drone-time, and by the point I lastly received off the boat, the vineyard closed. Fortunately, there was one other one which she knew of that was open later. I attempted to cancel as a result of I used to be past drained, however she insisted, so I pulled myself collectively, threw on a brief mild blue romper and hat, picked up Oscar, and went! As a result of let’s be critical, I would not be me if I handed up a free wine tasting at a winery on an Italian island!
After I arrived, I felt awkward strolling up solo to a wine tasting, and felt just like the household sitting outdoors was me like a loopy vacationer. There’s much more humorous moments and ideas to this second, however you’ll must learn the prolonged model of this story on my blog here.
Anyway, lengthy story quick, a man with thigh tattoos walked by, and some minutes later, my server was asking me out for him. At first I stated no, as a result of I believed he was asking me to affix him and his household for the dinner they had been at present having. Then I stated I’d meet him for a drink later. Oh, and she or he saved mentioning he was “the boss”, however all I believed was ‘Do not blow up this man’s ego!’ and brushed that off, assuming perhaps he was the supervisor of the cellar or one thing.
A yr later having our engagement get together on the vineyard!
I accepted going to drinks (barely as a result of I nearly fell asleep), after which his invitation for lunch the following day, which is once I put it collectively that it was really his winery. He made certain to make that clear regardless of our extreme language barrier, by persevering with to order bottles of his wine. I am not going to lie, lunch was superb, particularly because it was at one of many lovely seashores and included a variety of pasta, however I did not actually suppose I would see this man ever once more. We did not even converse the identical language, and it did not appear to be he was a giant traveler. He tried to ask me to remain within the space a couple of extra days, however I wanted to get to Barcelona to start out my egg freezing course of…since I had given up hope of assembly an excellent man any time quickly to have a baby with.
However, whereas I used to be going by means of the egg freezing course of, and for the three weeks afterwards that I used to be touring in Africa internet hosting my group journeys, he would textual content me on daily basis. From the second he woke as much as when he went to sleep. He would additionally point out me coming again to Sardinia after Africa, or him coming to see me in Mexico, however I actually didn’t suppose a lot of it. I used to be really fairly certain he most likely met many cute ladies at his winery that he took out and claimed to wish to go see.
However low and behold, he really booked the flight, and after three months of texting on daily basis, he got here to see me in particular person the place I reside part-time at my cute little condo in Tulum. In fact, I didn’t let him stick with me, and even informed him if he was coming only for intercourse to not get his hopes up. He was utterly wonderful with getting his personal place although, and informed me he undoubtedly wasn’t flying half approach internationally only for intercourse.
Our time collectively in Mexico was fascinating. He undoubtedly spent approach an excessive amount of cash on meals and drinks, and didn’t perceive that simply because he’s on trip, doesn’t imply that I’m. So I’d work till the mid afternoon, then we’d eat and drink and eat and drink till I received sick of it and informed him I wanted an journey. We ended up going to the Tulum Ruins, Chichen Itza, and Holbox, and I used to be extraordinarily glad to find he’s a fairly good traveler, and extra importantly, we received alongside very well, and had a variety of enjoyable.
He was so variety and respectful to me, and I might inform he actually simply wished to be glad and wished me to be glad as properly. After concerning the second week of him being there, I felt myself begin to fall for him, however after all, wouldn’t enable myself to indicate it.
After over a month, he left, and the following day he requested if I wished to be in a relationship with him. It was so straight ahead that I could not determine if it was unusual or refreshing, contemplating many males lately don’t desire any titles in any respect. I informed him if he’s OK with lengthy distance then sure. He stated sure, so we deliberate to spend one other two months aside, then I’d come again to Sardinia all of January.
In these two months I realized that from the second he noticed me he knew he wished to marry me. Or at the very least so he says. He didn’t know who I used to be, or that I journey for a dwelling, he says he regarded into my soul and he knew. So it shouldn’t have been a shock when he began asking me for my ring dimension. This saga of the ring actually wants extra element, and also you’ll must examine it within the prolonged model.
Briefly, he despatched me photographs of engagement rings and requested if I favored them, however I believed it was for a birthday reward. After I informed him that, he stated no it’s as a result of “we’re engaged”, to which I attempted to elucidate that you need to ask somebody in the event that they wish to marry you to be engaged. He stated one thing alongside the traces of, “Sure, I wish to ask,” however I nonetheless wasn’t certain if he actually knew what this all meant. Simply in case it was for an engagement ring although, I despatched him photographs of some lovely lab-grown diamond ring choices I actually cherished. However his response was an extended the traces of, “We don’t get married but! Would you like me to go broke?!” In order that was embarrassing as properly, and I made a decision to fake like all the dialog by no means occurred. However, a couple of weeks later, he ordered the one I favored from a store in Zurich, the place he wished to choose it as much as give to me on my birthday on January 4th. Once more, which is why I believed it was a birthday reward.
However the firm delayed manufacturing, and as I discussed, it was a complete saga, so I spent a month and a half stressing about this rattling ring and what it was for. We spent NYE in Lucerne, then Lake Como for my birthday (splitting all the pieces now that he knew about my booming enterprise), and afterwards went again to Sardinia the place I principally moved in with this man for the month.
I spent most days working from the seashore or house, and generally we’d go as much as his vineyard however not for lengthy because it’s fairly chilly there in January. And naturally we consistently ate nice meals. I attempted extraordinarily laborious to overlook concerning the rattling ring, for the reason that firm saved altering supply dates, after which in the future, really after our first ever argument, I got here house from a run to see the FedEx truck.
After I got here inside, one other lengthy story quick, I had the worst proposal ever. However I can’t blame him, he didn’t know what to do, and proposing in Italy isn’t the identical as in USA. He principally simply put all the package deal beneath his Christmas Tree, and pointed at it with a giant smile, then informed me to open it. So I sat on the sofa in my operating gear, and he sat beside me in his old-man-pajamas, as I opened the ring field myself to see the small lab-grown diamond on the twisted gold band.
“You prefer it?” He stated as he plucked it out of the field and tried to place it on all of my fingers, leaving it on my thumb, as a result of that is the one one it type of match. Then he simply received up and went again to creating his lunch. Like I stated, worst proposal ever. All I might say was, “So, that is my birthday reward?” to which he emphasised once more that no, it was as a result of we’re engaged.
So I awkwardly defined to him how massive of a deal it’s to Individuals to have a cute engagement proposal, and to my shock, he was very understanding, and stated he was going to do it once more after we get the ring re-sized (I someway tousled on the measurements).
Just a few days later, we received the ring again, and headed to one of many lovely seashores on this space. It was Sunday, January 14, 2024, and it was imagined to be cloudy, however as an alternative it was a phenomenal sunny day.
By no means thought I would be engaged and dwelling on an island in Italy!
He discovered a secluded seashore, that was sheltered by large boulders, and set our matching “Re and Regina” monogrammed wine glasses on prime of a boulder, with a chilly bottle of his white wine, and an enormous bouquet of roses. In fact, the ring was within the field within the center.
I become my lengthy pink velvet birthday gown, as a result of I’m further like that, and once I walked up he handed me the ring once more and stated, “Will you marry me sooner or later?” And I stated sure! (Then he requested me if he did it proper this time, which I believed was hilarious).
We spent the following two hours taking photographs and movies and ingesting the wine, and in addition simply sitting subsequent to one another having fun with the second. One thing I’ve by no means actually carried out with somebody earlier than.
Then we went for a scrumptious celebratory lunch in a small city the place we each received sea urchin pasta, adopted by pistachio cannoli. I had wished his canine to be there for the proposal, however since he’s a bit loopy, we determined to attend, and headed as much as the winery to see him subsequent. Then for some motive he thought it was the most effective time to take me on a strolling and climbing tour of all the winery, though I used to be in heeled boots and a gown.
It actually was probably the most excellent day although, and we ended it at house, the place I made us ravioli (properly, technically his mother pre-made them, I simply added the sauce), and we drunkenly sung and danced all night time. A lot so, that the following day we had been each utterly dying and swearing off wine for the following few days.
After which, in true solo traveler type, I left two weeks later to go climb Everest Basecamp, do a collaboration in Bhutan and Socotra Island, and host a bunch journey in India.
After I returned, he had gotten a giant one bed room condominium constructed behind the cellar, and we formally moved onto the winery shortly after! However shockingly, I used to be not enthusiastic about that. We had been dwelling in a pleasant condominium that is strolling distance to the seashore and seashore bars, and the winery was a bit removed from them and the city. Based on me at the very least, he’ll insist the seashore is simply seven minutes away, which is probably going as a result of he drives like an Italian cheetah. However, we received a used motorcycle, and I rapidly fell in love with the scenic drives from the winery to the seashore, and the previous cities.
I get up and stroll by means of the barrels of wine to go stroll my canine outdoors within the rows of vines. My workplace is a small desk beneath an olive tree which additionally overlooks the vines and the ocean within the distance. When it is time to cease working, I am normally lured to shut my laptop computer with gives of aperitivos. And I now can converse conversational Italian!
So yeah! I actually met a man whereas doing what I really like; touring solo, ingesting wine, and being with my canine, and ended up engaged and dwelling on a winery in Italy! For this reason I at all times say “My Life’s a Journey Film”. That being stated, my recommendation to all the one girls (and males) studying this, is to by no means cease doing what you like since you suppose it is stopping you from discovering the fitting particular person! The precise particular person will love and settle for what you do, even when they do not prefer it!
Like each love story, there may be a variety of work concerned, and it isn’t straightforward in any respect, particularly with cultural variations! However now we have made it a great distance collectively, and may’t wait to get married in a few months!
Please drop me a remark or comply with me on social (@mylifesatravelmolvie) and my blog for marriage ceremony updates!
