A jet-setter is urging single people to quit dating apps after meeting the “love of his life” while stopping to use the toilet at a bar in Thailand. Globetrotter Ayana Smith was three weeks into a year-long journey through Southeast Asia when she met her current boyfriend, Scott Shippen, from Hebburn, Durham County, at a liquor store in Chiang Mai.
The 25-year-old said the two made eye contact when she got up to go to the bathroom and was then asked to sit at his table with his friend. Ayana said they were initially sitting across from each other, but when Scott, 26, got up to go to the bathroom, she took the opportunity to approach him and the pair have been “inseparable” ever since. Told.
Following the success of her holiday romance, the content creator from Phoenix, Arizona, US, is encouraging others to ditch online dating and focus on building “organic” in-person connections. . Ayana, who now lives in Cardiff, Wales, said: “I’m so lucky to have met Scott. Meeting people in real life is so much better than on a dating app.”
“I like meeting people in person, and this applies to relationships and friendships as well. I’ve used Hinge a little bit in the past, but I don’t like having to talk to someone online and then meet them. I hate it.
“I always feel awkward. I naturally prefer meeting someone in person because I can learn more about their personality this way than through text messages. I met the love of my life in Thailand. I think it’s crazy that we met, but we can still meet.” I can’t believe that happened.
“I never expected to meet a man while traveling, but I’m glad I did. Just focus on yourself, do what you want, and the rest will follow.”
Ayana, who loves to travel, understands why people are nervous about booking a solo trip at first, but says it was one of the best decisions she’s ever made. “I always tell people to go,” she said. [solo travelling] Even if you’re nervous. Booking a solo trip is always nerve-wracking.
“It’s hard not to be nervous, but when you’re there you have a great time. You just have to give it your all. The night I met Scott, me and a friend from the hostel went to a bar.” yellow zoe.
“I was going to the bathroom on the other side of the bar and Scott and his friends came in and we made eye contact. The first time I made eye contact with him, I didn’t know what to expect. .
“I was used to traveling alone and talking to strangers, so I thought I should go to his table that night and sit with him and his friends. We sat on opposite sides and we were together.” The music was so loud that we were shouting at each other across the table.
“But when Scott and his friend got up to go to the bathroom, I moved to sit next to him when he came back. From the first moment [when I sat next to him] I knew there was something there. We got along really well, it was never awkward and we felt like we were in our own little world. We didn’t notice anyone around us. ”
After two weeks of traveling with Scott and his friends, Ayana had to leave the group to travel to another part of Thailand for work. Fortunately, it was at this time that Scott decided to abandon his companions and accompany Ayana on her travels around the country and around the world.
After exploring Thailand, the pair traveled to Cambodia and then flew to Australia to enjoy two weeks Down Under. Ayana said, “After working as an au pair in Europe for a while, I set off on a solo trip in August 2022, heading to Mexico, Central America, and Asia.
“It was something I always wanted to do. [solo travelling] After graduating from Southern Utah University. After meeting Scott, we traveled with his friends for two weeks, but then I had to go to Bangkok to work at a hostel.
“Just as I was about to leave, Scott said he was coming with me, and then he and I ended up traveling together. I was happy when he came with me. We We went out for a lot of romantic meals and stayed in some great hotels that made it so easy to have a date night.
“We went to Koh Samui and Pig Island and it was our first time alone together and it was so much fun. We met on March 4th and have never been apart since. There was no relationship, so I’ll just say we were girlfriend and boyfriend from this point on.”We were dating from the day we met and we were never apart. ”
After spending two weeks in Sydney and Melbourne, the pair flew to Ayana’s hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, to visit her parents, marking Scott’s first visit to the United States. The couple then flew to Newcastle, England, where they visited Scott’s hometown of Hebburn, County Durham, making it Ayana’s first trip to the UK.
Ayana said, “When I went to visit my parents, they were surprised that I came home with my boyfriend, especially since he wasn’t American. I think they expected me to not have an American boyfriend because I had never been American.” I’ve been living in America since college.
“It was Scott’s first time coming to America, and he got along really well with my family. It was great to go see Scott’s family. I loved my family and , it was also my first time in England.”
“Scott is from Newcastle, so we spent the weekend there. Then we spent a few weeks in Cardiff, then went to London for six weeks and now we’re back in Cardiff and living together.”
The pair currently live together in a flat in Cardiff but hope to move to Australia early next year. Ayana said that although they come from different backgrounds, she and Scott, a pipefitter, have a similar upbringing and share the same goals in life.
Ayana said: “Scott makes me laugh, he makes me feel at ease, and he’s adventurous just like me. We’re both willing to go anywhere and do anything. He’s a very hard worker. So we’re very compatible. We have similar goals and similar upbringings, but we’re from opposite sides of the world.”