Everytime I go on one of my Eat, Pray, Love journeys, my friends tease me that I will find a man, just like Julia Roberts had done at the end of the movie. Despite traveling to five different countries, I still have not found Mr. Right. Maybe a handful of overzealous Italians, Japanese host boys, who paid no attention to the lost Americans and Australians rushing to grab food on their lunch hour.
Where was my Brazilian, hot, sweet, sensitive, single dad, like Elizabeth Gilbert found in Bali? Sadly, just bumped into a dodgey Aussies, just trying to “have the sex” on holiday. Seriously, a random Australian man asked me this. Uhm. No thanks mate.
Just for kicks, I tested out my Tinder in Bali, as I had heard of people, meeting new people on vacation. My newly single girlfriend, was curious what this new dating application looked like, so I gave her a Tinder tutorial.
As I had suspected, all Australian men in their 20s, surfing Bali’s beautiful coastlines. Dammit. I get enough of that here in Hawaii! Swipe to the left.
Finally, I just let my friend take over, pretending she was me, so she could practice her flirting skills. See, aren’t I a good divorced girlfriend?
Many of my single girlfriends, ask me how I meet so many men, where ever I go? Even though, I didn’t meet my future husband, I still managed to meet many cute fellas on my adventures.
Want to know my secrets, to meeting men abroad or even at home? It is really simple.
1) Say hello
2) Smile
3) Be yourself
4) Ask them a question
Is that all there is to it? I am afraid so. Now that you are armed with this knowledge, use it the next time you are out and report back to me.
While I didn’t meet the love of my life, like Julia Robert’s found, at the end of Eat, Pray, Love, I did meet a few nice, cute fellas.
Always loving to meet new people, I make sure to be friendly and going out of my way to introduce myself.
During one day in Bali, my traveling partner and I took the day to explore the city separately. Over the last five years, I have grown accustomed to traveling solo, so it was nice to venture out on my own. On my way back to the bungalows, I stopped by the neigboring bar, making new friends, with fellow wanderluster.
Initially, I was sitting alone, but decided to walk up to the cute bearded blonde, smoking the hukkah. With confidence, I asked would they mind if I joined the group at their table.
With the biggest smile, the devilishly handsome backpacker from San Francisco, said, “I was hoping you would.”
After that, our group had grown, giving me the chance to meet people from all over the world, from the CrossFitter living in Montreal to a former alternative record label executive. What a wonderful evening. Soon, I will share my experiences at the Delicious Onion, on separate blog post.
Made many new friends, but not love connection. Dammit. Next time Bali!
No. I did not have a “love affair in Bali”. Hell, I didn’t even have a love affair in all of the other four countries I have traveled to, over the last five years. Maybe that is just in movies.
Maybe my leading man is waiting for me on another continent? Maybe even back home in Hawaii. Who knows! I know it will eventually happen, it is just a matter of when and where. Another great life mystery.
On your search for true love, you just might meet a lot of really cute men along the way! Enjoy it ladies!
Now let’s talk about true love. As I had mentioned, I like to call my travels, my own Eat, Pray, Love adventures.
God knows I EAT a lot and I LOVE everything I see, but you know what I love most, is my opportunity to PRAY all over the world.
Ever since I started blogging, I have been very open about my faith and open to learning about other faiths. Watching people pray, is one of the most beautiful, humbling and vulnerable human experiences.
Closing our eyes and opening our hearts to a greater god, is the foundation of all faiths. Doesn’t matter if you are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Spiritual, etc, this is our common thread. Wouldn’t it be nice if we focused on this, as opposed to the differences?
Back to praying. Many years ago, one of my closest girlfriends, Linda, shared a beautiful story with me of love and faith. After struggling to find a good man, her mother suggested she go to China, to pray for her future husband. Given her mother’s advice some consideration, my wonderful friend flew all the way to China, to pray for her future husband. It wouldn’t hurt right, she thought to herself.
Guess who met her future husband shortly after? You guessed it! Now they are happily married, with two beautiful sons and living proof in the power of prayer.
Always remembering this beautiful story, has inspired me to pray for the same, in cathedrals and temples throughout the world, during my world wide travels.
Whether, I am lighting a candle in Paris’ Notre Dame mass services or praying in a Japanese Buddhist temple, I pray to God to send me my true love.
Maybe it sounds silly, but I have faith, that somewhere out there, in this great big world, the man that I am meant to love is searching for me.
I’d like to think that during my silent prayers, he is saying his own too. God is just working our way to each other. Isn’t that a sweet thought?
During my travels, I realized that I am not alone in my thoughts, as I have seen first hand, many pray for the same.
While in Tokyo, I had the opportunity to visit a Buddhist temple for the first time. What an amazing experience!
Although, I was unfamiliar with their prayer rituals, I watched closely, as each individual cleansed themselves, before entering the sacred temples.
Every movement, I would mirror, as to have an authentic praying experience in a Buddhist temple. From bowing, clapping my hands twice, throwing coins as an offering, praying, clapping my hands twice again and bowing at the end of my prayer.
Finally, I had the opportunity to write my prayer on a small wooden board or place my prayers in an envelope. As I was glancing at all the hanging prayers, from people all over the world, written in various languages, I saw many similar to mine.
While I was asking for my true love, another woman was asking for a “compatible soul”. We are more alike than we realize.
Although, we live on different continents, our prayers share the same message, we all want to find love.
As with always my prayers, I begin with my gratitudes, giving thanks for all the wonderful blessings in my life.
Despite, moments of cynicism and doubt, I do belive in love and hope to fall in love again. Maybe even one day, when the time is right and my heart is ready, God will answer my prayers, sending me my future husband and restore my faith in marriage.
It is late here and it’s time to say my prayers before I turn in. I hope everyone is having a great start to the week. Thanks for letting me share a little piece of my world.
Did any of your prayers come true?
Love,
Sweet Cicily
Leave a Reply