A woman who had never kissed or gone on a date until the age of 32 has finally started dating and said she’s not embarrassed about being a “late bloomer”.
Allora Campbell, 32, of Rochester, New York, proved she’s the real-life version of Josie Grossie from the Drew Barrymore film Never Been Kissed when she revealed she never touched lips with anyone or went on a date until she was in her 30s.
All her life, the self-proclaimed late bloomer expected her perfect partner to fall into her lap, but as the years passed and she spent many days without Mr. Right, she knew she had to take matters into her own hands when she wanted to get her first hickey.
Knowing that if she stopped trying hard to go on dates, nothing in her life would change, the 32-year-old downloaded a dating app and started swiping, determined to go on a date and being kissed, even reaching her goal last month.
Allora Campbell, 32, of Rochester, New York, had never been kissed or dated until the age of 32 when she finally started dating and said she wasn’t embarrassed about being a “late bloomer.”
She proved she’s the real-life version of Josie Grossie from the Drew Barrymore movie Never Been Kissed when she revealed she’s never locked lips or dated anyone
Knowing that nothing in her life would change if she stopped trying to go on dates, the 32-year-old downloaded a dating app and started swiping
Rather than prioritizing dating, she poured her energies into her career and travel, and while she occasionally tried a dating app, she immediately deleted it after receiving “scary” messages from men.
Allora realized that nothing in her life would change if she didn’t do something about it — so she set a goal of dating for a month in January 2023.
The 32-year-old noted that she feels she is “falling short of expectations for dating in society” but after going on four dates and being kissed – describing the moment as “cute”.
Allora said: “I’m 32 and I’ve never kissed or dated until last month.
“I assumed that women were meant to be pursued or that some kind of sweet encounter would happen.
“But that never happened to me. I thought something must be wrong with me.
“Rather than taking the narrative into my own hands, I just put all my energy into my career and my travels. I felt like I wasted 15 years trying to come to terms with it.
“In the period between Christmas and New Year I would cuddle my dog and just think: ‘If you don’t do anything, nothing will change.’
“I love my life, but I wanted to try a date. My goal was simply to go on dates and feel comfortable enough to do so.
Allora had grown up expecting that she would meet someone or be hit on by men.
She was determined to go on a date and be kissed, and even achieved her goal last month
Instead of prioritizing dating, she poured her energies into her career and travel, and while she occasionally tried a dating app, she promptly deleted it
She said: “I’ve been crippled by gender roles. The prince to the princess. When it didn’t happen, I did a lot of thinking. I would ask, “Am I good enough?”
“I would download a dating app once a year, have a bad experience with creeps, and delete them without going on dates.”
But Allora eventually realized that she needed to show herself out there, after reconciling the idea that if she didn’t start dating, nothing would change.
She said: “I’ve spent so many years worrying about what people would think of me.
“It was self-sabotage. I downloaded the dating apps and decided to give it a try in January.
“I really didn’t expect anything. But I ended up hooking up with a guy and going on four dates.
The 32-year-old noted that she felt like she was “falling short of expectations for dating in society” but having now been on four dates and kissed – she described the moment as “cute”.
Allora documented her pre-date jitters on her social media and even shared footage of herself getting ready
“I was afraid of the first date. I sang “I have trust” from Sound of Music the whole ride. He was so cool that I wasn’t kissed or dated. He was really respectful. I had my first kiss and it was really sweet.”
Before this year, hardly anyone knew that Allora had never been on a date.
But she took the plunge by sharing her secret on social media and was shocked when the other “late bloomers” reached out with support.
“I thought I was the only person in the world going through this,” she said.
“I have a feeling you carry a deep, dark secret. It made me braver to say it out loud.
“I could always fend off all dating questions, so no one really knew anything beforehand.
However, despite the nervousness, the date seems to have gone great as the two have been on several dates since then
Before this year, hardly anyone knew that Allora had never been on a date. But she took the plunge by sharing her secret on social media and was shocked by the crowd of other “late bloomers.”
“It’s nothing I’m more ashamed of.”
Allora documented her pre-date jitters on her social media and even shared footage of herself getting ready.
In the clip, she selects a graphic tee and jeans before donning her ‘Power Coat’, which is sure to make a statement with its bright yellow hue.
Throughout the video, she puts on her makeup and shows TikTok viewers the finished look before revealing she’s “so nervous.”
However, despite the nervousness, the date seems to have gone great as the two have been on several dates since then.
Now Allora wants others to know that it’s never too late to join the dating game.
She said: “There is no timetable. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
“There’s nothing wrong with coming up on a date or romance at a later date.”