BACHELOR HOMETOWNS: SHOPPING & MUDDING & MORE OH MY!

Ahh, the week of the hometown dates! The week that's always one of my favourites of the season to watch, even if it's also the week that reminds me just how bizarre the Bachelor really is. I mean, isn't it all fun and games until we hear the Bachelor asking multiple girls dads for their daughters hand in marriage? Can you imagine those poor dads? Even if some of them do just play along with the bizareness of this part of the show and give them their blessing, it still has to be really, really strange for them knowing that there could be a teeny tiny possibility that they actually do engaged. Again, bizarre I tell you, bizarre!

But, saying all of that, this is when I find the show takes a turning point, for the better. The drama has drastically dwindled and we know a lot more about, and are a lot more invested in the four girls that are remaining. We get to see them in their hometowns with their families, and it's always fun to watch how the Bachelor fits into that piece of their world.

Raven's hometown date was up first, and hers was one of my favourites to watch. The first part of their date seemed so fun, and dirty!!! Did anyone else notice Raven and Nick's clothes at the beginning when they were about to climb those....what are those things called? They were full of mud, even before we got to see them biking through the mud. Something tells me those two parts of the date were switched in the editing room. You can thank Sharleen Joynt for making me take notice of all those sneaky editing changes!! She's the master of detectives at them!

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Her family seemed so unbelievably kind and sweet, and how amazing was it hearing the news that her dad was cancer free? There were a few parts when they were talking, like when Raven was telling her dad she would rather walk down the aisle alone than have anyone else do it, that I caught myself filling up a bit. I also loved it when her dad told Nick he didn't expect to like him, but he did! 

Raven is definitely someone that I continue to like more and more with every episode. She seems so fun and so genuine and honest too. I also really like her and Nick together, although I do wish at this point they had a little more chemistry (you wouldn't say it though from the image I shared above). I'm just not completely sold on the two of them yet, although I still am rooting to see it!

Rachel had the next hometown date. As much as I love Rachel, and Rachel and Nick as a couple, I found it hard to watch her hometown date with the same interest as the other girls knowing there's no possibility they'll end up together. Again, why oh why did they announce her as the next Bachelorette already?  I wish they would have waited at least until after the episode she gets eliminated. I am curious to see how that part goes down, though. Do you think Nick lets her go next, or do you think she leaves herself?

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"Cheers to you being the Bachelorette" - Nick

Next was Corinne's hometown date in Miami, and I have to say I loved this one! I feel like she's totally playing up the part of how she's perceived, and I actually like that. What's that saying, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em? Or maybe she does just love shopping that much and that's where she really did want to take Nick on her hometown date. Either way, it was fun to watch and I'm actually liking her and Nick together more. I can't believe I'm saying that, but they're really fun together and fun to watch. But my goodness does this girl have expensive taste! I can't believe she bought Nick a $3000 dollar outfit! I'm pretty sure Nick's gonna have to keep her around until the end now so he can at least justify that purchase!!

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And then there's famous nanny Raquel. Gosh I loved her too! We got to see she's a real, sweet woman who cares for Corinne, and not just a nanny who fetches cucumber slices! 

Vanessa's hometown date took place in Montreal and, of course out of the four hometowns, it would be raining during the one in Canada. #Typical. Seeing her students get so emotional when they saw her again made me pretty emotional too. I absolutely loved how she brought Nick there for the beginning part of the date because you could tell how much she loved her job and her students and it was really great to see. 

Her family was definitely the toughest on Nick out of all the other families, especially her dad. While I completely understood where he was coming from, I guess I just would have enjoyed her hometown a lot more if he could have just played along with the bizareness of this part of the show and pretended that he loved Nick and was over the moon excited for them. But unfortunately this is the real world, and I guess because he loves his daughter so much, some tough questions had to be asked (and answered). It got real awkward there for a while when Nick was asking him for his blessing. Real awkward! 

"It's yes or no!!" - Vanessa's dad asking Nick if he asked the other girls families for their blessing.

Here's the part I wish I could find out - is the lead required to ask each of the girls fathers (or mothers) for their blessing to get engaged to their daughters? Is it just pushed by the producers or is it actually part of the contract? Obviously there wouldn't be much of an interesting show left after this point if we saw them only ask one of the parents, but I'm really curious to find out what the rules actually are! I honestly felt so bad watching Vanessa after she was told by her dad that Nick also asked the other girls parents.

As we all know at this point, I'm definitely a Vanessa fan (the girl can speak three languages for pete's sake, but not Spanish, Nick!) and I'm still predicting she's going to be the last girl left standing! Since I have been thinking that for a while, I did find it a bit strange when Nick said to her family that he and Vanessa haven't talked much about the future and where they would be living and such. Maybe he's just avoiding the discussion of having to move Canada! #AlsoTypical. Even though we have seen Nick shed quite a few tears so far, it has to be a good sign if he teared up when talking to Vanessa's sister about not wanting her to get hurt.

The episode left off with a knock on Nick's hotel room door from none other than Andi. Andi! I'm curious to see how they'll be around each other and what she has to say to him. Ughh I hate these cliffhangers....

What did you guys think of the hometown dates? I'd love to hear!

Until next time Bachelor fans.