International Dating: The Principle of Serendipity

There are those rare times when the universe conspires to bring two kindred souls together. By some fortunate stroke or blissful chance takes place a serendipitous encounter of soulmates distanced by time and space. This vivid image of romance grows in your mind, the utter whim of destiny bringing a tear to your eye.

Suddenly, by no coincidence, your toaster pops and you are swiftly brought back to consciousness. Sober reality sets in. You, perched at your desk scouring international dating sites for the past hour and a half, wondering why real love has eluded you for so long.

Serendipity, briefly defined, is a happy coincidence or a pleasant unexpected event. People are attracted to love stories rife with these fortunate happenings because they hold on to the notion that somewhere on this big, big planet, there is someone for them.

While some people take a gloomy approach to love, happy encounters happen all the time and will continue to do so for as long as a human’s heart still beats.

So here begs the question: What role does serendipity play in the international online dating scene? And why exactly should you take a chance on a matchmaking site if serendipity is so real and authentic?

Dear Mr. Skeptic, let us go through a few points to assess if destiny may truly be on the other side of that computer.

Who is your soulmate, really?

Think about it. It doesn’t matter what you look like, what your preferences are, or what weird collections you have in your basement. There are almost 8 billion people on earth and around half of them are women. Don’t you think there would be at least one of them who appreciates your collection of 18th century butter churners?

Maybe you haven’t found your “type” yet. Or perhaps you’ve been binging some Netflix K-dramas and started thinking, “Wow, I guess I’m really into Asian women!”

There are women a 17-hour flight away whom you never thought could sweep you off your feet, and vice-versa. You need to meet people to realize how real this type of thing is.

Don’t be overwhelmed, though, finding “the one” is often a futile endeavor. With your best efforts, it just happens. However, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

Just what if..

Serendipity - a whimsical notion of a chance encounter that leads to happily ever after. Could the woman of your dreams, your future wife and the mother of your children, be sipping a pumpkin spice latté right now at a Starbucks in Thailand? Or could she be that sassy grad student getting off the train in St. Petersburg? If so, what are the astronomical odds that the two of you bump into each other in an encounter meaningful enough to lead to the next?

Most couples were at some point oblivious to each other’s existence anyway. The initial encounter changed that forever. The first email you send on that dating site will create something that never existed before - a connection.

One then has to ask, is serendipity purely a matter of chance?

Making it happen.

“In reality, serendipity accounts for one percent of the blessings we receive in life, work, and love. The other 99 percent is due to our efforts.” Peter McWilliams

When Thomas Edison first invented the light bulb, he tested over 6,000 vegetable growths and countless materials to make the proper filament. It was then that he carbonized an ordinary thread that sparked the series of events that would eventually light up our world.

This is in no way a suggestion that you should date 6,000 women, though it is not entirely certain that such a feat is even possible.

The moral is that in order to find the person who will eventually fall in love with you, you need to be open to anything. If that perfect someone happens to be on the other side of the world and your only chance to meet is through an international dating site, so be it.

Don’t Let Your Inhibitions Restrict You

Everyone deserves a chance, but everyone needs to take a chance. Oftentimes the things holding us back from taking action are our mental and emotional inhibitions. When we hold on to baggage and the pain from our failed experiences, we become self-limiting and unable to move on. When it comes to love, we sometimes become our worst enemies.

When it comes to international dating via online dating sites, lots of people fail to pull the trigger because of their skeptical and outright negative views of online dating. Some individuals are afraid to meet people online because they think it’s not real interaction.

While many potential relationships have fallen by the wayside to less than reputable dating portals, those who have done their homework with regards to choosing the right sites AND being courageous have found love in ways they never thought likely. If you are looking for a lady sincerely looking for her prince charming, make sure you are on a distinguished online dating site.

Many people who start out afraid of heights end up climbing mountains. Those who were laughed at for being unable to sing release record breaking albums. Countless people defy their own odds. They create their own luck, and they begin by disregarding their reservations. There is no clearer example than when people who are seemingly never meant to be together become life-long, inseparable lovers.

At the very point in time where two people fall in love, the circumstances no longer matter. Distance becomes meaningless and time freezes. A single message through a computer can lead to a lifetime of bliss. Getting off the plane can mean a million possibilities of love. Countless interactions are made possible with the drop of a pen.

A Fortunate Encounter

When you two finally meet, fall in love, and get married, reflect upon the series of events leading to you ending up together. Could they have happened at all if you never got off that plane? What would have happened if you had never pressed “send”?

Whether by pure coincidence or by the very will of the gods, you are there because you took a chance. And if by now you still doubt whether you can ever meet that special someone through international dating, know that every serendipitous moment from this moment forth will be of your making.