Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand The Relationships Issue | Page 23

Relationships

How could I live without this person ? How could I leave knowing that Laurel existed and I could not be with her ? How had the virtual become so … real ?
FROM TINDER TO THAILAND
Laurel had the answer : “ Why don ’ t you move to Bangkok ?” It seemed rash and impulsive , but that ’ s exactly what I did .
It has not been easy , of course . We found that despite how well we knew each other ’ s personal histories , deepest fears and dreams of the future , we still had to get to know each other in the “ traditional ” way : spending time together .
I turned around and there she was : My beautiful American online girlfriend .
We have fought and squabbled like any other couple . But now , nearly two years after we first met in person , we are not only still together ; we are engaged to be married .
It has shown me that in the search for romance , no stone should go unturned . We should never be afraid to travel across the globe to meet someone who makes our hearts flutter , but nor should we avoid a possible virtual match as an exciting first step . As the saying goes : It is better to regret something you have done than to regret something you haven ’ t . So dive on in . Just beware of the catfish .