It’s been nearly two months since Andy Balwin picked Tessa Horst as the winner of the reality dating show The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman and yet the 30-year-old Naval Officer is still inspired by his newfound love.

In an interview with Florida Sports Magazine, Andy Balwin gave an update on his love life after The Bachelor and his advice for other men and women in meeting their perfect match.

Just like Andy Baldwin, Tessa Horst was also initially skeptical in joining The Bachelor but eventually caved in for the fun of it.

“The casting team spotted Tessa after she finished a half-marathon in San Francisco.  The casting team for the show was smart.  They went to athletic events to look for my type.  Tessa is definitely an athlete.  She confesses that she wasn’t sure if the whole process was going to be right for her, but she went in it on a whim, similar to me,” Baldwin recounted.

Surprisingly, he found love on the reality show and found his ideal match, among the 25 ladies, who ended up being his fiancée.

“We ended up falling in love,” Baldwin explained.  “She is the type of woman I envisioned and prayed would come on the show.  I proposed to her, which was quick, and I initially didn’t think that was going to happen.  Now that the show is over, we’re definitely taking it slow and at our own pace.  We are eager to spend time together without the cameras outside of the ‘Narnia’ of a reality show.  We’re calling it our ‘Dating-gagement.’”

As for his advice on finding true love, the former Bachelor star revealed the importance of remaining true to one’s self and reaching out to various events and activities that will most likely increase the chances of finding a potential match.

“You can’t force it to happen, but don’t be afraid to take a risk, go and push yourself.  You might be pleasantly surprised by what you might find.  Stay open and don’t get discouraged if you get rejected or turned down.  This is a planet with billions of people. If one person says no, it’s a gift not a blow... Don’t stop until you find the right person.  If you later find out your right person is the wrong person, be honest with them and yourself then start your search again.  Happiness is finding laughter and love, that balanced give and take, that spark, that person who you actually want to talk with, not the person you have to talk to,” Baldwin added.


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Florida Sports Magazine
(Image courtesy of ABC)