I Swore Off Dating Until This Happened

I decided at 41 to learn a new language. Ok let me back up a little, I decided three years ago to learn Spanish.

I packed my bags and moved to Latin America, well I didn’t officially move. I was a 2-year nomad. Working online and traveling the world.

Then the world shut down.

I lost my job and basically got stranded in Argentina. Ok, not stranded, but it would have cost me more than a month’s salary to leave and since I just lost my job, I stayed.

Many of us stayed. Most of my nomadic friends actually got Argentine boyfriends/girlfriends. EXCEPT me.

All my friends said to get a boyfriend in Latin America, you need to speak the language.

I spoke a little, enough to get by. So I kind of gave up on dating until I was fluent in Spanish. I stopped dating.

Yes, a little dramatic. I decided 3 years ago that I would live in Latin America. This is the reason for me to only date in a country I wanted to live in, hence a Spanish-speaking country.

And that was it.

I had sworn off men at that point in my life, anyway.

Just seemed that I always met the one who was unavailable, or I was unavailable.

The timing was never right. I can make a million excuses, but I just didn’t meet the “one”.

Or whatever Disney movie wants us to believe at that moment.

SO I SWORE OFF MEN, I WILL JUST CONTINUE NOMADING AROUND THE WORLD. NO ONE WANTS A NOMAD!

Or so that WAS my plan. The thing about plans is they don't always go to plan, do they?

Once travel was permitted again, I found a Spanish school and moved to Colombia. This was the time I was going to do it. Learn Spanish, become an ex-pat, and figure out this crazy life I am living.

Still with no plans of dating!

Spanish is hard to learn! I feel so dumb 100% of the time!

I was in Colombia for a whopping 5 days, and then it happened. As soon as I saw this man, I knew my life of being single was over. This is what everyone says happens, but I did not believe it would happen to me.

While he walked over to us, I prayed please speak a little English

Well, I got my wish, he can introduce himself in English. God probably got a pleasant laugh.

Warning, when you manifest, be very clear on what you want.

So I showed off my Spanish, poor guy had to listen to it for 7 hours. Convinced he thought I was crazy and wanted nothing to do with me. Then I found out he worked at the Spanish school just enrolled in.

It horribly embarrassed me since I just blabbed to him for 7 hours. I was elated because I thought he was dreamy. I was scared because I didn’t date!

So the good news, when you have the hots for the teacher it makes learning a language easier, right? Well, that’s what I thought too.

NO, IT'S STILL HARD!

3 days after we met, he learned how to ask me out in English!

I was shocked. Maybe there is hope yet for us?

Have you ever dated someone that was not of your culture? How did it go?

O riginally published here.