I Attempted 5 Classic Rom-Com Meet-Cutes On My Vacation

There should be studies on the health benefits of a vacation romance. Is there anything closer to perfection than a no-strings-attached fling with a foreign hottie, whom you’re convinced you’re in love with but will probably never speak to again?

As my best friend and I booked our flights to Croatia for a summer getaway in July, this was the one thing on my mind. I had spent the prior few months casually dating and generally feeling cynical about relationships, and I needed a strong dose of spontaneity and kismet. In other words, I needed to orchestrate a meet-cute during this trip. If anything, for my health.

Though simple in theory, I knew this would be easier said than done. I would have to consult the experts — aka my mental library of romantic comedies. Armed with spiritual guidance from Mila Kunis, Meryl Streep, and many other rom-com legends, I packed my suitcase with one goal. Five (totally chill, not-at-all-embarrassing) attempts at vacation meet-cutes later, let me just tell you this: My WhatsApp messaging has never been spicier.

I Tried My Hand At Love At First Sight

Airport crushes are the OG romantic fantasy, so I set out on my mission before even touching down in Croatia. My first inspiration came from Love at First Sight, a 2023 Netflix film where two strangers — played by Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy — fatefully sit next to each other at an airport charging station. When Ben’s character offers to lend Haley’s his charger, the two lock eyes and basically never look away.

With my bestie cheering me on from our gate, I cautiously approached a charging station in the Newark, New Jersey, airport. I pulled out the stool next to a man who looked cute and normal, and politely asked to borrow his charger. Unfortunately, he didn’t experience love at first sight with me, and instead said no and blamed his low battery. I later happened upon a photo of what I looked like at the time, and I was wearing my bodysuit inside out and had chocolate smeared on my face from downing my plane snacks before takeoff.

Note to self: If you want to find love at the airport, make sure to wash your face.

I Didn’t Get Upgraded

The 2024 Camila Mendes rom-com Upgraded obviously crossed my mind as an aspirational airport meet-cute. In the film, a twist of fate gets the protagonist bumped up to first class, but her behavior in the lounge is less than classy when she crashes into and spills her drink on a fine man (whom she ends up sitting next to on the plane).

Although I was literally sitting in Row 54, that wasn’t going to stop me from attempting an Upgraded moment. Did I casually bump into a hot man at the airport while my friend pretended to take a picture of me in front of Buddy, the Cake Boss? Yes. Did he ignore me and seem sort of annoyed? Also yes.

Consider Sarah Marshall Forgotten

Once arriving in Croatia, my first attempt at a charming encounter was inspired by Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the 2008 classic starring Jason Segel and Mila Kunis. In the film, Kunis is the concierge at a luxurious Hawaiian hotel where Segel flees after getting dumped. As he’s checking in, his recent ex-girlfriend (hi, Kristin Bell!) shows up at the same resort, and Kunis jumps to his rescue.

This was perfect for me in theory — similar to Segel’s character, I was newly-ish single and ready to spice it up on vacation. However, unlike Jason Segel, I was staying in a tiny, unluxurious hostel where my host was an elderly man with a walking stick instead of Mila Kunis.

Things were looking up when I discovered that Goran (my hostel host) had an attractive son who appeared to be around my age. But when I asked if he’d want to show me around Dubrovnik, he politely declined and said he was engaged. Croatia, 1. Mia, 0.

Mamma Mia! That Man Is Not My Age!

Fun fact: The second Mamma Mia! movie was filmed on a small island in Croatia, so it was only right that I shoot my shot at a “Here We Go Again”-coded romance. Bill has always been my personal crush from the film. He meets a young Donna after she misses her ferry and needs a serendipitous ride from the hot sailor.

Unfortunately, I’m too Type A to ever miss a ferry. Instead, I perched at a pier and ogled at passing eye candy, before spotting one man docked on his boat alone. He was blasting Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” while having a solo dance party, so it was safe to assume I had met my soulmate. I shouted over to see if he wanted company, and an incredibly fun dance sesh commenced between us that had folks cheering from the pier.

However, once I got closer to my mystery man, he turned out to be many years my senior — and not in a hot way. Second note to self: When searching for love, maybe wear contacts.

Before Sunrise, I Found My Australian Lover

I believe that under the dictionary definition of “meet-cute,” there is a photo of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy first locking eyes in their 1995 film Before Sunrise. The two meet on a train, while Hawke’s character is journeying to Paris and Delpy’s is heading to Budapest. On a whim, they both get off in Vienna and live out every hopeless romantic’s dream: spending all night together in a foreign country, falling in love, and leaving it ambiguous so they can dream about it forever.

Going into this experiment, I had no intention of manufacturing a Before Sunrise encounter. But on the final night of my trip, that’s exactly what happened — although in my case, the setting wasn’t a charming train, but rather an overpriced nightclub playing Adele dubstep remixes.

One too many $12 tequila shots in, my friend and I needed a bathroom visit. While pushing through the crowd, I locked eyes with a gorgeous specimen: tall build, freckled face, with a goofy smile and captivating eyes. I tried to introduce myself, but the crowd was forcing us in opposite directions. I shouted, “Wait there!” before I got pulled away.

After an excruciatingly long bathroom line, I had lost all hope that he’d be waiting for me. But as I fought my way back into the pit, he was there! And alone! I was greeted with a heavenly Australian accent and decided that maybe God does have favorites. The rest of the club faded away as we danced embarrassingly, made out way too heavily, and undressed each other with our eyes.

Eventually, I insisted I had to go home since I had an early flight. He kissed me goodbye, closed the door of my Uber, and as I sat with the biggest grin on my face, my Uber driver became my guardian angel. “You found a boyfriend!” he joked as I nodded. “You should go back,” he continued. I laughed it off, but he didn’t stop there. “I can see it in your eyes that you are happy. You should go back.”

For the first time on my trip, I wasn’t trying to recreate a movie — I was in my own.

So I did. I got out of the Uber, ran back to Australian Boy, and we spent the whole night exploring the city together. We walked through Dubrovnik, kissed in alleyways, and took a not-so-short pitstop to his hotel room. Just before sunrise, I found my foreign fling.