The Bold & The Beautiful

For my sixteenth birthday my parents sent me to stay with a French family in Marseilles for two weeks. On the flight over there was a delay in Paris and I ended up chatting with a lady from California sitting beside me. As we were talking I noticed a cute teenage boy who kept staring at me. Even when I caught him in the act, he held my gaze. So I told the lady beside me that I was going to go over to say hi. She smiled at me and said "My, aren't we the bold and the beautiful..."

I strolled across the Paris airport, said hello in some broken French and sat down. His name was Yoanne and we ended up switching seats to sit together on the plane, and he kissed me and whispered "Je t'aime" in my ear the whole flight to Marseilles. We wrote love letters back and forth for a while until, eventually, things fizzled out.

Now it is ten years later and I've sometimes wondered where that bold and beautiful young girl went. A few long term relationships and I feel like I have somehow lost that ability to approach strangers with confidence. Maybe I've gotten jaded or maybe just more insecure. But I have been feeling like I need to return to my previously bold ways.

The other day I was working a marketing gig and getting random people to answer questions for a TV show. I had the perfect opportunity to start conversations with complete strangers. So when an extremely cute guy came towards me I jumped on the chance to talk to him. I got him to sign his waiver and sent him to the cameras. I told the on set make-up artist that I wished there was a way for me to go on a date with him. She told me to just go for it. So in the spirit of turning 26 and bringing my bold back, I made my move.

When he was done his short interview I awkwardly approached him and asked if he was single. He said yes. So I told him I thought he was very handsome and seemed really sweet and how I don't come across that many handsome, sweet guys. I asked if he would want to go on a date sometime, and once again he said yes. We exchanged numbers and he left me standing there bewildered but proud for doing what so many of us 20-somethings always think about doing, but we talk ourselves out of.

Maybe he and I will never go on a date. Maybe we will but it will fizzle out. But I know that I am putting myself out there. I am once again the bold and beautiful girl I was before. It only took me ten years to get it back, but damn does it feel good.