The mom of two says that after experiencing many highs and lows with previous relationships, she’s ‘optimistic’ about finding love but ‘not in a rush’
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Aurora Culpo is enjoying the latest era of her love life, and she’s looking forward to whatever may come her way.
The Barely Filtered podcast host, 35, and her sister, Sophia, 27, spoke to PEOPLE about their partnership with wellness brand Thorne, and the older sister also opened up about her relationship status. Over two years after her split from ex-husband Michael “Mikey” Bortone, Culpo says she’s dating with the hopes of making a solid connection.
“I’m excited to meet someone eventually. Right now, I’m kind of dating myself and seeing what’s going to happen,” she tells PEOPLE.
Despite her recent breakup with Paul Bernon — which his ex-fiancé Bethenny Frankel seemingly announced in an episode of her Just B podcast in July — Culpo says she doesn’t feel like she’s been involved in any serious relationships since her divorce. She acknowledges that she’s been involved in a few flings — “some of them more public than others for various reasons that are just out of my control,” the single mom notes — but generally, she’s excited about the prospect of something more serious in the future.
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“I feel like I’ve gone through a lot in the dating world,” Culpo reflects. “I’ve seen my sisters go through things. I’ve gone through breakups, divorces, public stuff, not public stuff. There’s really nowhere to go but up.”
According to the podcaster, bouncing back from a bad relationship doesn’t always come easily. She points out that some heartbreaks “can make you think all men act the way somebody else, or you think situations are going to repeat themselves.”
“That is where therapy comes in,” Culpo adds. “Because it’s hard sometimes not to have a wide perspective. There’s so many people in the world, and there’s so many options, you don’t need to choose another version of the same relationship every time.”
The Culpo Sisters star — who is mom to son Remi, 6, and daughter Soleil, 4 — says she’s currently looking for love on some dating apps, including Stir, an app that connects single parents with each other.
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“I’m hoping to connect with somebody who maybe also has kids,” she says. “I’m optimistic, and I know it’s going to happen, but I’m not in a rush.”
Despite the ups and downs of her romantic history, Culpo feels confident about dating — and she says that mindset is “a choice.”
“I think if you think that love doesn’t exist, and you’re never going to meet somebody, and you’re too old, or you’re this or that, then that’s exactly what’s going to happen for you,” she explains. “And then, you see the ladies at the nursing homes with three boyfriends that are living their best life.”