Young American Men Are Going Overseas to Find Wives

There’s a lot to be said for traveling. For decades, men have been traveling abroad for work, adventure, and now, for love.

Out of all those reasons, going overseas to find the woman you’d want to marry is met with the most skepticism. There’s still a stigma attached to it, because many people still associate it with mail-order brides or, worse, human trafficking.

But the movement isn’t just continuing, it’s going strong. What is it about these international dating activities that American men find so appealing?

First, let’s address the stigma that international dating is somehow human trafficking. If these men were committing crimes, they’re astonishingly bad at it. They’re leaving paper trails and using their real names.

If they were just in it for mail order brides, then aren’t they racking up their expenses? Not all men who go overseas meet their future brides on the first trip. Some return multiple times before they meet the one. We don’t know much about the business of selling brides, but waiting for her to just show up at your doorstep has to beat getting on a plane yourself.

So there must be something about the activities that keep these men believing.

Who better to explain than the gentlemen who have experienced an overseas sojourn in search of romance?

Recently, a singles tour to Costa Rica had left several gentlemen impressed with international matchmaking services. They agreed to be interviewed so they can share what they took away from the experience.

Hint: Not brides. At least, not yet.

Critics of international matchmaking think that American men who subscribe to these services take one look at the pretty women on the dating site, and they hop on the next plane, hoping to get some love.

It turns out that it’s not that simple for some of these men.

Isaac isn’t exactly the kind of guy most people would think would leave the US to find a bride overseas. Isaac is young — at the time this tour took place in 2022, he couldn’t have been any older than 30. He also appears confident. He doesn’t seem like he has any trouble finding dates at all.

Which is probably why he took his sweet time deciding whether he wants to join the singles tour.

“I was watching the videos for 3 years, and I just decided to pull the trigger. I watched all the videos and I did my research.”

Three years and research? Boy, this young man sounds serious! But, according to him, his diligence paid off. The international matchmaking company he’d chosen had obviously been well worth his time.

“You really feel like a rockstar when you sit down at those tables. It’s great. The women are very friendly and easy to talk to. You don’t feel like you’re talking to a brick wall. They respond back.”

The socials, which is the term the singles tours use to refer to the event when the men and women meet, had also left a positive impression on him. He had done his research, yet he was still surprised by just how many beautiful women showed up, and women close to his age at that.

He’d apparently expected older women, but although there were some, most were around his age.

“The women just handed me their numbers, and the older women would go, ‘Oh, let me give you the number of my daughter because you would be a good match for her!’”

Young Isaac may be an advocate for taking your time and doing research before traveling anywhere, but another happy client, Rogelio, made up his mind to join the tours after 6 months.

Rogelio had been a subscriber of the international matchmaking site in those months. He’d enjoyed sending letters to a few women who caught his fancy, but, according to him, “They’re not enough to build a relationship on.”

Meeting the women face to face so he can choose the one to have a real bond with was his motivation.

He encountered a few obstacles during his trip, but he still had a great experience.

“I came without high expectations. Some of the ladies I invited didn’t come to the socials.”

He also admits that he was so nervous on the first night of the socials, that approaching the first table was a disaster for him. Thankfully, he adjusted just fine, got over his nerves, and the socials, which lasted for several days, got much better for him.

He enjoyed his trip and had fun.

“I’ve been on a couple of dates and they were extremely enjoyable.”

Rogelio had so much fun, in fact, that one of the challenges he encountered was completely surprising.

“The attention makes you feel like a king! The challenge for me was to filter through their interest and stay focused on why I was there.”

Well, it sounds like these gentlemen have learned firsthand just how it feels to be in demand!

The socials sound like a great party where you’re the guest of honor. It’s little wonder these men didn’t mind joining up. But as Rogelio had pointed out, there was a reason for him to be there, and he had to focus on it.

Finding a bride among foreign women isn’t easy. Even talking to them would likely be a challenge. So just how enjoyable could it be for American men to spend their time trying to get to know these women?

If you ask them, it wasn’t without its challenges, but it was a blast.

Isaac was pleasantly surprised that, at the socials, so many of the women spoke English. He says that around 40% of the women either spoke basic conversational English or were well-versed in the language. And if you went to town, the locals were the same.

Another contented client, Leslie, vouches for the women’s ability to speak his language. “It’s always easier to communicate with the ones who can speak English. I find myself at the end of the evening sitting with the ones who can speak English.”

Rogelio relied on an interpreter who he described as “amazing.” Not all the men could speak Spanish, but they were all able to communicate because of the interpreters.

Not only was communication less of a problem than these men initially thought, but the atmosphere of the socials and Costa Rica was energetic and welcoming. They loved how the women treated them.

In Leslie’s opinion, Latin women were more honest.

“They will tell you right off if they’re interested or not. That’s a nice thing.”

Rogelio shares his opinion on the women’s honesty, and he also adds that the women have been very respectful.

Isaac, having gone to town with some of the women, was enthusiastic about how patient they were. The women would either invite the men out for drinks or, of course, for dancing. And it didn’t matter if you weren’t a good dancer because the women were very patient in teaching the men how to dance.

The locals, too, were encouraging. Soon enough, the awkwardness melted away, and the men just had fun on the dance floor.

Great company aside, though, what else did these men find so impressive about the women?

Ah, that’s right. They all thought the women were the real deal.

“The women that I’ve met are serious about finding the right man. They would like for their connection to happen…but they’re patient for the right one,” Rogelio says.

As for Isaac, the young wild card, he feels that the women of Costa Rica have what many American men his age are looking for. When asked if he believed the women who joined the socials were family oriented, he said yes.

“All the questions they’ve asked me led to, ‘Do you want a family? Do you want kids in the future?’ That’s what most of them wanted. They either already have a family, and they want to know if you want to join the family — if you want a family, bring ’em together — or if you want to create a family in the future,” he shares.

It was what he wanted too. Isaac was clear about why he came to Costa Rica.

“I decided to come because I was tired of playing games in the US. Here, they’re serious. They’re looking for a boyfriend. Someone who has goals of becoming a husband, a family, and being very loving. I’m all for that! I don’t wanna be in the States and party. I just wanna settle down.”

There’s a lot to be said for men who travel abroad for love. For these men, they travel because they’ve found women who are serious about being in relationships and settling down with families someday.

They’ve found women who are willing to break communication barriers so they can understand each other better. Women who are respectful and honest. Women who are patient and genuinely interested in them.

And, as a bonus, they got to enjoy dating like never before: as a festive vacation with beautiful women in an equally beautiful tropical country!