Bachelor Ben Higgins: Ready for love
The latest ABC Bachelor, Ben Higgins, is ready for his ride. The Denver resident already went through the Bachelorette ringer, wooing Canadian dance instructor Kaitlyn Bristowe last year. Now the Peter Brady look-alike is at the top of the heap on the 20th season of the mating competition, airing at 8 p.m. Mondays. We talked to the 27-year-old software salesman on a recent conference call.
How has the journey been for you?
I’m a very happy person, and I don’t think many things can change that. But this experience in general has been an incredible one, from last season to this season. It’s allowed me to focus more on the kind of woman I’m looking for and also gave me some experiences I never thought would happen.
What has been your biggest challenge as ‘The Bachelor’?
When going into the season, you are hopeful about how this process is going to go. But it’s really hard to get your mind in place. You have to say goodbye to a lot of really great people. And the women really put themselves out there. It’s a difficult thing.
You started out meeting 28 women in the house. How did you approach the overwhelming nature of the circumstances?
The three things that I tried to do in the whole process is to continue to stay hopeful, to continue to trust not only in myself but in these women. My desire was to be myself and to be vulnerable to allow myself to feel things.
What would you like to have in common with your eventual pick?
I would really like to find a woman to have a similar faith as I do. I think that’ll be important as we raise a family and move forward in life. Also somebody who offers grace; I’m going to need a lot of grace in my life, as well as patience.
Are there any qualities someone could display that would make you not want to give her a rose?
I knew I was going to meet women from all over the country, probably from all over the world. I wanted to go in knowing that there’s going to be new experiences, new personalities and new people I’ve never been exposed to. So I tried to not hold myself back from deal breakers initially just to see if there’s a connection.
Are you looking for a woman to move to your city or would you consider relocating?
I’m definitely ready to find that person; that’s not a question in my mind. As far as looking for a woman to move or not: I mean, I love Denver — it’s an incredible place to live and I have roots and good friends here. I would really love it if a woman would move, but I’m not going to force it. I’m still open to whatever stage or step is next for us. I’m ready to be loved and to feel that love back.
This story was originally published January 11, 2016 at 11:30 AM with the headline "Bachelor Ben Higgins: Ready for love."