I love hearing stories about how couples meet. Don’t you?
As the Dating Director, I am often asked, “How did you meet your husband?” When I say, “On a sailboat cruising the Mediterranean,” I’m usually met with, “Wow. That’s so romantic.”
And it was.
However, without an understanding of relationships or having the skill set of what to do, my story could have been about a brilliant affair that lasted a week. I probably would have blown the most amazing and important romantic relationship in my life.
So as I’m telling how we met, I’ll be giving you some very important Dating Director Tips so you won’t blow it in your own love story!
After my father died in 1994, my mother and I spoke for years about taking a trip together. But where would we go? Alaska? The Grand Canyon? Tahiti?
Finally, Mother found a sailing trip that began in Malta and traveled up the coast of Italy, ending with a tour of Southern France. She asked if I wanted to go. Would I! Twist my arm, Mama! I love Italy. I love France. I love the sea! When do we leave?
In October 2000, Mother and I flew to Malta and boarded Le Ponant, a sixty-five passenger private sailing yacht.
When Mother booked our trip, she told me I would probably be the youngest guest on the boat. What she didn’t tell me was that she would be the NEXT youngest guest on the boat! Yes, I’m serious! But these people were great. They were sophisticated travelers, interesting, and wonderfully fun to be around.
We chose this tour because Le Ponant was stopping for three hours on an island called Ponza. I had been to Ponza twice before and loved it. So much that I was writing a screenplay set on Ponza and was studying Italian in hopes of making a film there.
I wanted to practice my Italian before arriving in Ponza so I could communicate with some friends who lived there. The detail was, they didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Italian. When I’d been to Ponza before, my Roman friend, Daniela, did all the talking. I pretty much smiled, nodded and drank my Pinot Grigio. Non problemo! But this time I was on my own! I needed to “parla Italiano” as much as possible before Ponza!
Turns out, the entire crew was French! Except for one Italian. Lorenzo. I could find him in the bar. Talk about convenient.
