LIFE|TRAVEL

A Crazy Love Story That Is Also The Winner Of “My Wildest Travel Story” Contest

I love it when truth is indeed stranger than fiction as is the case in this story about lovers meeting in Siberia

Warren Patterson and I hosted a writer’s challenge throughout the month of March in which we invited writers in our publications to get to follow each other while sharing stories that were deemed “the wildest”.

I’m a sucker for a great love story and the winner I chose was not only a “wild adventure”, but a “risking all for love” kind of story that melted my heart.

Here’s an excerpt from Jacqueline R.M.’s story:

I was determined to really mess with him, even in the wee hours of the night when it was just me in my bed and my friends weren’t there to egg me on. Every come-on he had, I had a make-believe counter:

You want to take me out for ćevapi? Too bad I’m allergic to meat. You want me to write you a romantic poem? Then I’ll describe my undulating rolls of fat as pronounced as the ćevapi you tried to woo me with.

But no matter what batshit replies I sent him, he just couldn’t take a hint. And thank God he couldn’t, because that man would one day be… my husband.

I dodged every attempt to meet him in real life, thinking, Haha, I’ll be gone in a month and forget all about this. When my semester abroad ended and I flew back to the States, he sent me one last text on December 25th: “Merry Christmas!”

For some reason that warmed my heart a little, but soon I stopped using Tinder altogether. I even uninstalled the app because, tech-savvy as I am, I thought that was the same as deleting my account. (It’s not.)

Little did I know that Mr. Green Laser Douchebag almost deleted me, too.

It’s become my favorite romantic comedy.

And I mean that with the utmost love and respect.

As promised, here are 10 more of Jacqueline R.M.’s stories to check out that I am promoting since she is the winner of the challenge, but also because I am a fan of her stories.

1 — So let’s do it like this: Picture Italy on the map… then picture Turkey. Now, try to picture the area in between.

It’s foggy, right? That’s the Balkans. It’s a cool place, but difficult to put into words. The Turks tried, that’s where the name Balkans comes from, which some translate as “wooded mountains” while others will tell you it means “blood and honey” — two extremes which the world has come to recognize here, even expect.

2 — “Emily in Belgrade” would offer American viewers a glimpse of something new. It would be set in a place that’s overlooked, yet up-and-coming. In fact, Belgrade has been nicknamed “the next Berlin” by people who couldn’t come up with a more original way to market the nightlife here.

3 — If you’re a pedestrian here, that’s about all you need to know. That, and the fact that you’re a very brave person.

But if you dare to get behind the wheel yourself, then buckle up: this shit is on another level.

4 — Lately, the tides have been turning, though. Serbia’s becoming known as a culturally edgy and affordable destination for digital nomads. Or, for anybody young who’s looking to live and work abroad, typically without a serious career or other commitments, and often with a hankering to “find themself.”

5 — And I think that’s why I still feel trapped here in my home, here in my head, even with the worst behind us (how I hope the worst is behind us). We’re told that we can live our lives again with the small and selfless price of injecting a vaccine, but your jab won’t make me feel like myself again because this war isn’t on the streets anymore — I feel it most inside my head.

Thank you to everyone who participated in March’s challenge and to all the wonderful writers at Globetrotters and Taking Off.

Robert Pomeroy Ticapo Alexandra Christensen Alan Asnen Adrienne Beaumont Andrea Barb Dalton 🇺🇦 bakagaijin Bernie Pullen BichoDoMato Y. Chwyldro Catherine Arnett Citizen Upgrade Crystal A. Walker DeeDee Denise Stephens Judy Derby BSc. Denise M. Day EllenEastwood Ellie Brooke F. Leonora Solomon Gabriela Francisco Gianni Bawn Graham Cooke Ian Hanson Ivery del Campo Jack Road James Jordan J.J. Pryor JA Vassili dick Karen Toralba Kim Baker KiKi Walter Krista Marson Laurie Morin Maggie Gigandet MN Matt Hammerle Gerald Washington Misty Rae Nahid Niharika Chhabra Peggy McDaniel P. Venkat Raman Perri Michelle Tooth Truth Roopa Vikesh RGomez Sara Burdick Shannon Piérre Joel A. Johnson The Sober Vegan Yogi Jacqueline R.M. Tamika G Richard Steele Walter Rhein Vivian Oguguo Yvonne Tse

Stay wild!