Nautilus Entertainment News
February 12, 2009
By: Graciela Ayllon
Last night, the Bachelor’s Jason Mesnick trekked all over North America (literally) to visit with the families and friends of the four remaining women — Jillian, Molly, Naomi and Melissa. Here’s what Jason had to say about crossing the border (Oh, Canada, is right!), hitting the fairways of Michigan, the freeways of Southern California and the meeting some friendly folks in Dallas.
What a week! It truly couldn’t have been any better. These four girls, their friends and families are all “AMAZING.” Yes, I know I am getting a lot of flack for using that word over and over again. But there are really no other words that better describe this entire experience. Unbelievable, unreal, great, fantastic are great words, too. But you know what? The best way to describe this experience, the women and all the fun that comes with them is just “AMAZING.”
I had a great time with Jill and her family. She is exactly like her dad — fun, outgoing, caring and honest. I am so thankful that Jillian shared her mother’s story of battling depression with me. I found it so incredibly brave, and I now have a better understanding of why Jill is as strong and supportive as she is. She has always needed to be there for her family, so it was only natural for her to be there for the other girls when they needed it. Her grandma was hilarious. She came in and put a pair of Canadian flag boxers on my head. We all got a great laugh out of it. But what you didn’t see on the show is that they actually got me to put the boxers on as well. I had a blast, and Jillian’s family really set the bar quite high as I headed into three more hometown dates.
Being a golfer my entire life, I was blown away seeing Molly in her preppy gear. That was every golfer’s dream come true! She definitely got a hole in one that day…I wish that you guys had gotten to see more of the hat box at Molly’s house. There were literally 50 to 60 hats in there, and by digging in, I really had to opportunity to be part of a welcoming family tradition. As for the art activity, I admit that I am not much of an artist. But I did my best to portray what I see as Molly’s most beautiful attributes — her smile and her amazing eyes. But I didn’t do her any justice.
My date with Naomi was a real roller-coaster ride… almost literally. Unfortunately, you didn’t get to see the very “memorable” horseback ride that we took together. My horse got a little spooked and started spinning in circles. I really thought it was trying to buck me off. Luckily, I slipped of the back of the horse and it took off. I know it’s not the thing to do if you are trying to impress a girl, but I don’t have much experience with horses!
As for hula-hooping, clearly I suck! I don’t think I have done it since I was about six and that really showed. Let’s just say that I have officially retired from hula-hooping. As for the dead dove, I honestly thought it was a joke at first and I was just playing along. That was until the bag was opened and a feather flew out. I thought, Are you kidding me? Is this really happening? Am I really about to do a eulogy for a wild dove?’ I had no idea what to say. Really, I think Naomi’s mom was just having fun with us all.
I had an interesting conversation with Naomi’s father about religion. I am not a person that has practiced a lot of religious faith. My conversation with her father was very unexpected. He is a great man with a lot of faith and I learned a lot about him and I really respect his belief system.
My trip to Dallas was great. Of course I was disappointed that Melissa’s parents were not comfortable meeting me under these circumstances, but I do respect their wishes. I know that there was a part of Melissa that I wasn’t able to see. But I also know that her parents didn’t ask to be a part of this journey and they made the decision that was best for them. But it did allow me to meet some of her very best friends and see a part of her that I wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise. I was able to get a real glimpse at her everyday life, and what it would be like to continue hanging out with her. I loved seeing her with her friend’s children. The tooth fairy box that Melissa made for Ty was so thoughtful and showed me how much attention she was paying to everything I said. It also showed me that she was not just thinking about me, but she was thinking about Ty as well.
The rose ceremony was tough because I had to say goodbye to Naomi. She and I are very similar in so many ways. I made my decision because I realized in my heart that Naomi has huge wings and she needs to fly and experience more in the world. She is a great girl and I know I made the right decision for all of us.
Seriously, next week is going to be AMAZING. I take Moll, Mel and Jill to New Zealand for the ride of our lives.
