Is modern dating officially broken — or have we simply made love impossible?
This week, Caroline gets into the conversation everyone seems to be having: why finding a real relationship feels harder than ever. As dating apps struggle, singles suffer from swipe fatigue and Bumble makes headlines with its $1.3 billion deal to go private, Caroline asks whether the problem is really the apps… or us.
Have our standards become unrealistic? Are we too quick to label someone a red flag? When did compromise become “settling”? And can we expect men to be traditional providers while women embrace an entirely different, modern role?
Caroline looks at it through the lens of her own unconventional marriage to Sergio — a relationship that, on paper, probably never should have worked. The age gap, different religions, different stages of life, different financial positions and a long list of supposed “red flags” could easily have stopped them before they started.
She also gets candid about money in relationships, being the breadwinner, why financial independence changed the way she chose a partner, the uncomfortable conversations she and Sergio had early on, who should pay on a first date, why women still want to be pursued and what she believes actually makes a relationship last.
Because perhaps we don't need the perfect person, the perfect income, the perfect lifestyle or someone who ticks every box.
Maybe we just need to stop dating a checklist.
Sometimes the most important relationships you build aren't romantic ones.
That's exactly why Caroline created Stanbury Retreats — bringing together incredible, like-minded women from around the world to connect, share experiences, build friendships and remind each other that there's so much more to life than ticking boxes.
This November, Caroline is heading to the Maldives for four unforgettable days of connection, luxury and a little bit of magic.
If you've been waiting for a sign to do something for yourself, this might just be it.
Applications are now open. Apply to join Caroline in the Maldives
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