Woman flies 1600km for a whirlwind romance, gets stranded instead

A 23-year-old female was stranded in the South Dakota airport for hours after getting stood up by long-distance date. Photo / 123rf

This article was one of Herald Travel’s top stories of 2024.

She gave the man of her dreams three years of her life. Then she got ghosted.

In a tale that highlights the risks of online dating, River Blake, 23, from Louisiana, in the US, flew more than 1600km to Rapid City, South Dakota, to meet a man she had been talking to online for three years, only to be left stranded at the airport.

Blake met her date in 2019; after he saw her modelling work and, upon finding her “beautiful”, slipped into her DMs. The two had a lot in common and had a connection right away. After years of online dating, her date suggested she fly her out to South Dakota. Not only that, but he also offered for her to move in with him, claiming he was building a house and wanted her help to decorate it.

With the excitement of a budding romance, Blake agreed and, on February 17, she started her journey to meet her long-distance lover at Lafayette Regional Airport with three connecting flights to Rapid City, South Dakota.

Blake’s date paid for the one-way ticket for the eight-hour flight, but what she didn’t know was that the trip would end up costing her a ton of extra money and total heartbreak.

Upon arriving at the Rapid City airport, her date failed to show up. She waited at the airport for hours, hoping he would arrive, before finally accepting that she had been stood up. More than the heartbreak, she had to spend US$1290 ($2192) for overnight accommodation and a last-minute ticket home.

The model shared how the day quickly turned from sweet to sour.

Blake packed to go for an extended amount of time, believing that her date wanted to build a life together with her. After arriving at Rapid City at 3pm, she spent her first hour working on her laptop at the airport cafe. She didn’t have any suspicions yet, since her date was constantly messaging her, telling her that he was still getting ready.

But after her date sent a selfie, aiming to reassure her that he would pick her up, Blake quickly realised that he would not be showing up.

“He sent me a picture, saying he was definitely on the way. But I noticed the road signs showing he was heading West - but I was in the East. I knew he had to be heading in the opposite direction - and I messaged saying, ‘I don’t think you’re actually going to pick me up.’ He didn’t say anything - and we haven’t spoken since.”

After realising she was getting ghosted, River Blake booked a hotel for two nights and a flight back home and vowed to focus on herself and her career from now on. Photo / River Blake Instagram

Dejected and stranded in another state, Blake booked a room at the nearby Hilton hotel and decided to make the most of her unexpected stay in Rapid City. She explored the city with the help of a new friend she met through a mutual acquaintance, turning what could have been a disappointing experience into a chance to see a new place and meet new people.

“I spent three to four hours at the airport running in circles - and when I realised he wasn’t coming to get me, I left. I booked a Hilton for two nights, met a nice guy through a friend, and he showed me the city. It definitely still hurts - it really rubbed me up the wrong way - but at least I got to do some sightseeing.”

Reflecting on the experience, Blake remains positive. “I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. This just wasn’t my time - and he wasn’t my person, after all. I’m just focusing on my career now, and spending as much time travelling as I can,” she said.

Blake’s journey, while initially disappointing, is a reminder that life’s twists and turns can lead to unexpected discoveries.

This story was originally published in New Zealand Herald Travel on April 17, 2024.