Emily and Harrison who lived 5 minutes apart in the UK, were both using Badoo's 'Location Search' setting while traveling but didn't meet until they were thousands of miles away from home. Here they share the things they learned from finding the one in this way. 

Relationships on Female First

Relationships on Female First

We were surprised by how many people were doing it

“There used to be such a stigma about telling your family and friends that you met your boyfriend/girlfriend on a dating app....It’s just not like that anymore. It really is the new normal and our loved ones literally didn’t batter an eyelid” - Harrison

“You wouldn’t think people would use a dating app whilst traveling (since no one stays in one place for too long) but I was shocked by how many people I met on Badoo who were using it whilst travelling as a way of meeting people.” - Emily

Talking to strangers is so easy

“I have a fear of rejection, so for me messaging “Hey!, how are you?”  is easier than saying it in person. If I had met Em at a bar, I would probably have been too shy to approach her, so I’m pleased I met Em online first as I probably would have said something stupid and scared her off! - Harrison

Their online personality really does reflect their real life personality

I think you can tell a lot about someone from their bio, photos and the way they message. Despite having never met and only spoke via message, Harrison had me in stitches instantly and always put in such thoughtful, detailed responses when I asked for hostel recommendations and travelling tips. I wasn’t disappointed when I finally met him as his personality was exactly the same in person as online.” - Emily

Always prioritise safety

“This is a really big deal. As fun as dating is and as normal as it’s becoming, there are definitely some people out there that are exploiting dating apps for the wrong reasons. It’s important to use an app like Badoo as they pride themselves on their safety features. It’s important to be certain the person you’re meeting with is who they say they are! Emily and I actually used Badoo’s video chat feature as I wanted to make sure she looked like her photos. Thankfully she looks even better! ” - Harrison

Once you’ve found love, delete the app

Me and Harrison rarely argue, but I think one of our first tiff’s was over the fact I still had Badoo on my phone!! I hadn’t used the app since things got serious but one day a message notification came up on my phone. It’s fair to say Harrison wasn’t best pleased. He told me he deleted it as soon as he met me, oops! I saw the app as more of a platform to get to know people and see who was around... but I do think it’s important that once you find that connection with someone you were looking for, it’s best to remove yourself from dating apps and just focus on what you have around you.” - Emily

You really don’t need to meet people in your immediate surroundings to find love!

“It’s so funny to me that I finally found the girl I Love whilst travelling on the other side of the world. I’ve never had my distance setting higher than 20 km away so I was shocked when Emily messaged me because she was all the way back home whilst I was abroad! It just goes to show that you don’t have to find someone within your little bubble but I would definitely recommend broadening your horizons and going on more adventures to find love!” - Harrison

Definitely use photos that reflect who you are

“I’d like to think we both nailed this one. Just on reflection of our whole experience, I do think it’s so crucial you’re honest about yourself online, so you don’t set yourself up for a loss early  on. The person you end up with should like you for exactly who you are, not who you think you should be. For example, Emily had photos from fun, adventurous holidays as well as a photo of her and her dog. These pictures reflected who she was and I knew straight away that we were compatible on both of those levels.” - Harrison

Don’t be afraid to tell the person how you feel

“It’s scary, but if you’re traveling the chances of being in the same place for a long period of time are slim. Harrison was planning on moving on not too long after I arrived so I kinda had to get the “I like you” out there pretty quick! Luckily he felt the same, and we decided to move on to the next location together… it’s now been two years and neither of us regret putting our feelings out there so early on” - Emily


tagged in