Woman Turns on Bumble While on Italy Trip, Now She’s Moving There

A woman went on a girls’ trip to Italy and agreed to go on a Bumble date – not realizing it would change the trajectory of her life.

Quirine Brouwer (@quinthebooks), a copywriter, hit a low in 2022 when she was suffering from heartbreak and burn-out, leading her to move back in with her parents.

“My life was at the lowest point two years ago, another relationship had ended and I was in a bad head space,” Brouwer from Dordrecht in the Netherlands told Newsweek. “I was thinking ‘what has my life come to?,’ I was in such a state, I went to Paris at the end of August and I had non-stop panic attacks—it was a really bad time.

“I didn’t know if I could go to Italy but something inside of me just told me to go.”

The 27-year-old Dutch woman shared a glimpse of her story on TikTok in a video that garnered 6,082 likes and 102,400 views.

“When you randomly turn on Bumble during the girls trip in Italy and now you’re in a car with all your stuff and dog to move there,” she wrote on the overlaid text.

She wrote in the caption: “When ‘do it for the plot’ accidentally changed your life trajectory.”

In September 2023, Brouwer jetted off with her girlfriends to Torno on Lake Como in northern Italy, to spend 10 days in a big pink lakeside villa.

One night after a bottle of wine, the women decided to open Bumble to scout the local Italian talent.

“We were hoping one of them might have a boat,” Brouwer joked.

The girls thought nothing of the tipsy swiping and did not pursue anything with any matches.

However, one man, Giovanni Moioli, 30, found Brouwer’s Instagram and decided to send her a message.

“He messaged me like ‘hey, we matched on Bumble and didn’t get a chance to talk,’ you seem nice and interesting and I would love to meet you,'” she said. “I thought if he comes to me like this, maybe it’s a sign.”

After deliberation with her friends, she decided to meet with Moioli.

They had a magical lakeside first date where they chatted for hours and enjoyed Aperol spritzes.

Moioli even brought Brouwer a book after learning she loved reading.

“It felt so easy and natural. I was there for five or six hours and I had shared my location with my friends,” she said. “They were wondering where I was, but I was still sat by the lake. It was the perfect Italian romance movie date.”

The pair had already established they wanted to see each other again and this time they met in Moioli’s hometown, Monza.

“It was really fun, he knew all the spots. We had some gelato, he showed me the duomo. We even ran into some of his friends,” she said. “I was supposed to drive back at some point but we kept talking and kissing, my friends were asking where I was. It was very successful.”

The duo thought it was going to be the last time they saw each other but Brouwer set up an impromptu third date in Nesso, a village where there is a beautiful waterfall.

“We swam in our underwear, It really did feel like a movie. I thought even if this ends up as nothing—at least it’s a good story to tell,” Brouwer said. “The day after I had to leave, I wasn’t too sad—it was obvious we wanted to keep seeing each other.

“I did know at this point I really liked him, I was giddy and in love, it was very exciting.”

In October, Moioli came over to the Netherlands and they had a week-long fourth date.

After a week of being together, the pair did not want to part again.

“I cried really hard at the airport,” Brouwer said.

The pair had another meet-up in Italy where they stayed at his family home in the mountains and Brouwer met his mom.

Her family were apprehensive at first since she had a long-distance relationship before which did not end well, though they eventually got on board.

The copywriter had always wanted to live abroad and she and Moioli started talking about the possibility of Brouwer moving to Italy.

“I’ve always loved Italy, I always took family holidays there. I always wanted to live in another country for a bit and it felt like the right moment,” she said.

Fortunately, she works as a freelance copywriter so can work from anywhere.

Brouwer made the 11-hour drive across Europe two weeks ago with her shih-tzu, Luis and all her belongings.

“It’s been so fun on the one hand and so overwhelming on the other. I’ve not comprehended it yet, but I have been received here with open arms,” she said. “I live in an apartment building where the neighbours are so close.”

Though Brouwer said the language barrier has been the hardest thing to overcome she plans on attending Italian school when the summer vacation is over.

Her favorite part of her new life is the outdoors culture of the mountainous region where she lives, where being active and in nature is prioritized.

“It feels like a new chapter, and a new start, I found my person and I am starting a new chapter,” Brouwer said. “I would tell other women to take a risk and do something outside of your comfort zone.”

TikTok users were amazed by the chain of events that led to a whole new life for the 27-year-old. Some shared similar stories.

“Aw I married my do it for the plot in 2017,” said one user.

“I joined bumble travel while drunk while it was on sale for $9.99 before I went to Scotland. We’re getting married in September,” said another.

“Don’t give me hope,” said a different user.

“I’ve recently moved to Italy with my Hinge date,” another user said.