Don't let her blonde hair and party-girl-looks fool you, Natalie Getz says she's anything but materialistic and immature.

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However, following a lavish one-on-one date with The Bachelor star Jason Mesnick that included $1 million jewelry and a private jet to Las Vegas, NV, Mesnick felt that the 27-year-old human resources associate from Morton, IL wasn't in the right place in her life to become both a wife and stepmother and didn't give her a rose, eliminating her from the competition.

On Friday, Natalie talked to Reality TV World about her post-elimination tirate, what she felt went wrong on her date with Jason, and how she reacted to the other bachelorettes' celebration upon learning that she had been eliminated.

Reality TV World: You were obviously pretty upset that Jason didn't give you the rose at the end of your one-on-one date.  Do you feel any differently now that a few months have gone by?

Natalie: Absolutely, and after watching the episode, like I said in some interviews, I think that when you're in a house with a bunch of girls and you're holding yourself back from any emotion and you're on camera constantly because it's a TV show, and if you go on a date then everything is great and wonderful, and then you don't get a rose I think that was like my first time to actually vent and, you know, it relieved some stress.

I regret saying a couple not-so-nice things about Jason because at the end of the day he is just a doll of a guy and he's so sweet and once of the nicest people I've ever met. So, looking back, I was a little shocked at myself and for losing control of my emotions (Laughs).
 
Reality TV World: At that time, what exactly caused you to get so upset?  Was it because he wasn't interested in you, or was it  because he picked the rose up and seemed to lead you along for a bit or was it something else?

Natalie: I think the main thing that upset me was living in that house -- I do love all the girls, they're all nice regardless of what they said about me, I don't care. I'm sure there's gonna be more to come, I have no idea. But I think what [upset me] is there were a couple times where I felt like "Gee, that wasn't very nice [about] whatever this person just said to me."

Like, my God, I would hope that [Jason] picks one of the girls that's just sincerely a nice person, and I think that was frustrating for him not to know what's going on in the mansion.

And also, when you get rejected it's never a good feeling. Normally if I went on a date with a guy and he never called me again, you know, you don't care, it's one date. But when you're on a TV show and there's so much emotion involved with it, at the end of the day it's just one of those things where you just kinda let loose, and you let your emotions run high.

Reality TV World: Obviously you were angry, [but] you didn't seem very heartbroken like you had already fallen in love [with Jason] or anything like that. Is that accurate?

Natalie: That I did not fall in love?

Reality TV World: Yeah.

Natalie: Oh no. I don't know that I've ever been "in love" in my life, I think that's a very strong term. I "love" people, but being "in love?" That takes years.

I think there was a little bit of frustration in that date with me because I did get this million-dollar-necklace, I got this trip to [Las Vegas], I got to wear this dress, [I got] all these things. And I'm thinking in my head "I'm going to have to appreciate this," because it is a great date, any girl would love that. But at the end of the day I was hoping that my date with Jason would be going and hiking in the mountains and having a picnic.

Me, I'm a small-town-girl, I grew up pretty much on a farm. I don't even own any jewelry, I don't have my ears pierced, I don't own a TV and I'm not a materialistic person. But I could sense that building during the date that maybe he thought I was [materialistic] and I was a little frustrated with that, and I just felt that at the end of the date he had no clue who I even was. I think I was more angry that I didn't get the rose versus [being] upset.

Reality TV World: Had you envisioned the possibility that you might get eliminated on that date, or were you very confident that you would be the one [Jason] would pick when you decided to go on the show in the first place?

Natalie: Oh no. I mean, you go on that date and you know that you're either gonna go back to the mansion or you're going home, and I thought [that] you could put two great people together and sometimes they just don't click. There's one thing I said to Jason about saying how I was totally enjoying my freedom over the past couple years, it was nice to finally be single. And he probably saw that as "Well then what are you doing here?" and I didn't mean it in that way, I think it came off wrong. But it's just one of those things where I didn't expect to get the rose. I saw him building a couple different [strong connections with some girls], it was apparent to all of us girls in the house.

And you know, no worries, if you don't build a connection with someone it's just not there. And I didn't go into that date thinking that I'd get it 100%, but throughout the date we were laughing a lot and we were having a great time, and I was a little shocked when I didn't get the rose.

Reality TV World: When he was walking you to the limo after your elimination, you told Jason that you felt some of the girls were "real mean" and that there were some "cruel" girls in the house.  Exactly who were you referring to with that comment? 

Natalie: You know, I don't wanna name names because I'm sure that the girls who were not very nice to me -- I'm kinda a baby with that, if a girl's not being nice to me I won't bite back but I'll get up and run into the bathroom and cry. (Laughs)

But, I don't wanna name names because I'd rather have it blow over and I hope to be friends with these girls now. And I think that under normal circumstances people would have been kind of easy [to deal with] if we weren't competing for the same guy. I think it's hard to say that [certain girls were mean] when they're in a circumstance that's totally foreign to any situation they've ever been in their life.

Reality TV World: How long did your post-elimination conversation with Jason actually last? It looked like it might have gotten edited down [significantly] on the [broadcast]. 
 
Natalie: Well, we were in the casino, and for anyone that's been to Vegas there's quite a walk to the front of the casino. He was really respectful and he said "You know, I wish I would've met you two years down the road, I just don't think we're on the same page in life right now," and he told me that he thought I was a wonderful girl and he was very, very nice about it, very sincere.

And it was different because when you're at the ceremony and you don't get a rose you walk up, you give him a hug goodbye and you leave. For us, we actually had time to talk about it, and it was getting me a little upset just because I felt that he had no clue who I was. He thought I was a girl who liked diamonds and [Las Vegas] and being treated like a materialistic girl liked to be treated when that's 100% not who I am. I just felt he didn't get a fair shot to know who I am.

Reality TV World: Taking you out of that moment then, when you were watching on [Monday night's broadcast], did that help to change your feelings to see his side a little more?

Natalie: See his side?

Reality TV World: Yeah, of [his decision to] not choose you, did it maybe [make more sense to you] where at the time if you were caught up in the moment [it may have not]?

Natalie: You know, when I was in the limo driving around, and then when was going to bed and everything [that night] I thought "I don't think right now I could've packed my life up and moved to Seattle."

If a man walked into my life right now that I was gonna marry, I'd be open to it, if we're both living in the same area and have the same interests and everything. I just think, with Jason, I think seeing now on the show that he may have caught that vibe from me, and I really didn't think that I was giving it off.

But when you're out there you're so wrapped up in everything and you're telling yourself "I could do this, I could move to Seattle if he chooses me." But at the end of the day when I'm watching it with my family and my friends and I can see him talking, I see that he saw that in me, that maybe I wasn't right there [and] ready yet. 

Reality TV World: Was Monday night's broadcast when you first learned about how some of the other bachelorettes felt about you and reacted to your elimination?

Natalie: Um, yeah actually (Laughs). It was the first time (Pauses)

You know when I was in the house there were some times when girls would make some unnecessary comments, like [they would] just look at you and giggle. And you act like they're kidding so that it doesn't cause [confrontation], I hate confrontation I think it's awkward.

But the majority of the girls I thought I was having such a great time with. So, that a few of them were excited that I didn't come back, I kind of took it good and bad. I thought "You know, they're glad I'm not coming back maybe because some of them thought 'Thank God she's gone, now I have an even better chance to get with Jason.'"

But then some of the nasty things they were saying... I wasn't hurt because I hadn't known them long enough to be hurt, but I was [definitely] a little surprised that they were saying those things.

Reality TV World: Did you really feel as you said in the limo ride [after your elimination] that out of all the girls in the house, you were the one that was [currently] in the closest place in her life to Jason?

Natalie: I'd feel that if I met the right guy. I grew up in a small town, I'm 27, I've accomplished so much in my personal life, and I've made sure to do it very carefully. I've always said I wanna know that I have my career. I wanna know that I feel successful, I wanna make my own money, buy my own things, live on my own, do what I need to do to be selfish with my time [and] get it out of my system so that I can be a successful wife and a mother. And I feel that I'm at that point in my life and I'm thinking "Okay, I'm open to being in a serious relationship, finally!"

And [given] my passion for children, without a doubt I know that I could marry a guy with a kid, that does not matter. It was actually one of the main things I was attracted to about Jason was the fact that he did have a kid, because I think that grounds a man a little bit.

I just felt that, physically speaking, people can look at me -- I joke around a lot, I laugh -- that's how I'll be and that's how I'll always be. That does not mean that I am not ready to be at a certain place in life. That's just someone looking at the outside version of the inside.

I think there's other girls in the house that definitely are ready. I think that when I said that I was referring to a couple of girls that I thought were just kinda not the nicest to each other.

Reality TV World: Okay, because I was gonna say there were some mothers [on the show] too who would've probably qualified as being [closer to same place as Jason] too...

Natalie: (Interrupting) And I'm not gonna say (Pauses) I've met mothers, who were not on this show, but I've met mothers in real life who I don't think are ready to be mothers. Just because you have a child doesn't mean that you're ready to be a mother.

Reality TV World: During that final limo ride, you also seemed pretty much flabbergasted by the idea that a guy might not "feel an attraction" to you.  Has that just not ever really happened to you before?

Natalie: Um, (Pauses) I didn't think that at all! I think I'd have to re-watch the episode to see how that looked because he told me [many times during the date] "You're beautiful, you're beautiful, you have a beautiful heart, you're beautiful on the outside and the inside," so that wasn't a doubt in my mind.

Reality TV World: You kind of referred to it earlier, Jason didn't seem to believe your comments that you were ready to settle down that and weren't a party girl. Do you have any idea why he didn't believe you?
 
Natalie: You know, I'm not sure. I think he's very comfortable... obviously he's very comfortable in front of the camera because he's done The Bachelorette and now he's doing The Bachelor. For someone like me, I was so camera-struck because I had never done anything like this in my entire life in front of a camera, or at that, had any real desire to. So, I was not loosened up on that date.

I think anyone who knows me could tell [and told me] "You looked really nervous, you were not being yourself," and I [was like] "I know!" Because it's very different when you're on a date with a guy in Chicago in a dive bar just chillin' and kickin' it versus [being surrounded by] camera people and a guy that you don't know very well on this elaborate date.

It's tough to be yourself, and I think from what he saw, he was just thinking that I wasn't ready, but I couldn't really relax and be myself.
 
Reality TV World: After the episode aired on Monday, Jason wrote in a blog entry and said it was "so hard not giving [you] a rose," and that he had "picked it up because [he] wanted so badly to give it to [you], but put it down because [he] knew [he] couldn't."

Natalie: I didn't know that until I read that.

Reality TV World: Okay, because I was gonna ask, Did you believe that at the time, and what do you think about it now?

Natalie: I do believe him when he writes that because it's hard, you know? You meet someone and you think "Do we have a connection? Do we not? Should you take the risk? Should you not?" You never know. I mean, like I said, it was once date that we went on! You know how many dates you've been on in your life, and in the normal world you probably go on another date, you go "Well I'm gonna see a different side of this person in a different environment."

But when you're on a show like [The Bachelor] and the stakes are high there's no time for another date because you gotta make your decision quickly. And [Jason] is just such a nice guy, I feel bad for him that he has to make those decision because I know for a fact that it's hard for him. I can't even imagine once it gets down to the Top 4 and all of those strong connections he's built with those four girls, and he's gonna have to turn some girls down and I know he's a sensitive guy, it's gonna be tough for him.

Just seeing how it was hard for him not to give me a rose, someone he took out on one date!? These other girls down the line that are gonna be spending tremendous amounts of time with him, I kinda feel bad for him! (Laughs)

Reality TV World: Was there anything that you expected to make it on the show that didn't make it on the air?

Natalie: Well us girls were being goofy in the mansion and we were having a blast. I didn't think it would make it on the air. Of course there are cameras on you at all times because it's a reality show, but there were some times when we were so goofy and having a blast of a time, just all of us girls.

A lot of it didn't get aired, but I will tell you -- regardless of what was said about me, or what other girls might have said about another girl in the house -- At the end of the day, I think that we all are going to be pretty good friends after this. Some of us might be closer than others, but we'll always kind of have [a good] relationship, I hope, and hang out every once in a while.

Reality TV World: Aside from yourself of course, was there anyone that you were surprised to see [Jason] eliminate or give a rose to?
 
Natalie: I was kind of surprised to see [Kari Fajen, a 27-year-old advertising executive from Lee's Summit, MO] go, because she was just such a sweet girl and she's just such a cutie. She's very shy, but she's just a dear heart and I was kind of shocked that she left because I didn't think she had a fair chance to really get to know Jason. Then again, I don't know what they talked about [during] their one-on-one time, I have no clue I'm just an outsider looking in. 

Reality TV World: After your elimination, was there any particular girl you began rooting for?

Natalie: Yes, someone's actually asked me this... I really like four, no five of the girls. I actually, shoot, I left one out of the last interview. I'll tell you who I absolutely adore:

Lauren [a 27-year-old teacher from Malboro, NJ] is, hands down, my favorite. I think that her and I are gonna be friends forever. We totally built a bond out there, she's awesome. Of course I'm rooting for her.

Molly [a 24-year-old department store buyer from Grand Rapids, MI], the girl that's living currently in Wisconsin. She's from Michigan. She's just a sweetie, she's awesome. I hope we can hang out because we live so close to each other.

Stephanie [a 34-year-old medical marketing representative and single mom from Huntsville, AL], she is just mature. She knows what she wants, she knows how to handle herself like a woman, she's elegant, she's a sweetie, she loves Jason.

And then Melissa [a 25-year-old sales representative from Dallas, TX] of course is just so dang cute with her little accent [and] her bubbly personality. I think she'd be great for him.

And then Jillian [a 29-year-old interior designer from Peace River, Alberta, Canada]. I've got nothing to say about her except for she's probably the coolest chick I've ever met in my entire life. She's got it together [with] her career. I think every girl in that house built a connection with Jillian because she's such a cool girl

So those are my five. I can't narrow it down any further than that because I like them all so much. (Laughs)

Reality TV World: Fair enough. How did you end up on The Bachelor? What led to your decision to audition for it?
 
Natalie: My sister nominated me, pretty much, and I said no for a while because I was really hesitant and thought it would be really weird. And then with a lot of pushing from friends and family -- they said just go and have an experience -- I said yes, and I went out to Finalist Week and that was that.

Reality TV World: Had you tried to go on previous seasons [of The Bachelor], or was it just for this one?

Natalie: Oh, no, no, no. They always said "Can we nominate you?" and I said "Absolutely not, I would never go on TV, that's awkward." And then finally they sent an email and ABC called me and I was like "You guys..." (Laughs)

I couldn't thank them more for doing it, it was one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had in my life, and I think it's something that I'm gonna always have with me that not a lot of people get to experience, whether it turned out bad or good.
 
Reality TV World: How has being on the show affected your personal life in any way so far? Or has it [at all] in any ways?
 
Natalie: My personal life? No. Everyone who knows me -- I have a huge network of friends in Chicago and back in my hometown -- and they all know me to be more goofy, and they know I can take it. However I was portrayed on the show, I can laugh at it and poke fun at myself. And at the end of the day no one's treated me differently, or anything like that, and everyone still respects me just as much as they did when I went on the show. Even my co-workers got a kick out of it, they loved it.
About The Author: John Bracchitta

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