Golden Bachelorette Joan Vassos says that since her reality TV show ended, her normal routine turned into a whirlwind of romance, family, and first-time opportunities that she is savoring with great relish.
The 62-year-old Rockville native and former private school administrator performed in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway and has been shopping with her fiancé Chock Chapple for a place to share in New York City while navigating the holidays in Potomac with their respective families.
Joan and Chock became engaged during the November 13th season finale, and she says that they are planning to get married, but are taking the arrangements slowly. For now, they are "living in the moment" and spending time as a blended family; mostly in Rockville.
When Chapple visited her during the holidays, she enjoyed taking him to the Brooklyn Deli, in Rockville, which has a sandwich called “The Vassos.” They also went to Rockville’s Mykonos Restaurant, went shopping at Tyson’s Corner, and had an excursion to the Lone Oak Farm Brewing Company in Olney.
In the future, she plans to take him to Annapolis, Ocean City, and Glenstone; several more of her favorite local places.
Looking back, Vassos said she was initially worried about how she would look on season one of The Golden Bachelor, her first step into reality TV.
“I realized that it was completely dignified, and I got to meet these amazing women, who were diving into life, and their bravery made me feel brave,” she explained. Then with The Golden Bachelorette, she went on 24 “first dates,” and shared laughter and tears with the prospective men before selecting Chapple.
“Going forward,” she recalled, “I thought about the risk versus the reward and that was the strongest message playing in my head, that if I risked this, and something great happened, the reward was worth it.”
If Chapple, being a bit of a daredevil who has gone diving with sharks, was to offer dating advice to the men out there, Vassos says he would tell them “To take a chance on finding love!”
The lovebirds have been matching some of the women from Golden Bachelor with some of the men on Golden Bachelorette, and telling them it is worth the effort. “It’s worth going out to meet people, have fun, and share stories about your lives. He and I did it and it worked, so why not give it a try?”
Vassos adds that when she meets fans of the series in the grocery store and around her community, they are buoyed by her journey.
“If I hadn’t gone on the show,” she said, “I don’t think I would have given up, because even though it requires a lot of effort, the reward in the end is worth it. Fortune favors the bold!"