Maria Georgas has revealed how The Bachelor will change her dating approach going forward and whether she got the closure she needed from Joey Graziadei.
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"One thing I can take from this experience is to be more open to letting things happen," Maria told BachelorNation.com.
"I want to be more in the moment and let the good things roll out as they will."
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When Maria dates in the future, she shared how she "will be more open to expressing" herself to whatever man she's dating.
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"I will be more... accepting that I am a lot more emotional than I try to play off that I am," Maria admitted.
"I want to always trust my instincts. I noticed watching it back that I might have held back in some ways. I think that was me trying to trust my gut and I know I have a good intuition, so I want to try to lean into that more."
But Maria said she definitely received the closure she needed from Joey to move forward and look for The One.
"I think just being able to watch the show back with everyone else and seeing his connection with the other women, I was able to understand where my ending was coming from," Maria recalled.
Rachel Nance received Maria's rose after hometown dates, and then Joey eliminated Rachel in third place after Fantasy Suites.
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Joey now has two bachelorettes remaining -- Daisy Kent and Kelsey Anderson -- when The Bachelor's Season 28 finale airs Monday, March 25 at 8PM ET/PT on ABC.
"It was my time [to go]," Maria insisted, referring to her elimination that took place after Joey met her beloved family.
"Our relationship ran its course. I respect his decision and some things could be great and people saw our connection, but not everyone is going to be everyone's person and I'm okay with the fact that he's not mine."
While Maria feels content with how her journey played out on The Bachelor, she confessed that she would have "of course" done "some things differently."
Maria explained, "Looking back, hindsight is 20/20 and I would have changed a couple of things. For the most part though, I stayed true to who I am and I can't be mad about that. I am okay with how things played out."
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Maria also has support from fans, Bachelor Nation, and even some The Bachelor alums, such as Charity Lawson and Demi Burnett.
Season 20 The Bachelorette star Charity Lawson wrote on one of Maria's Instagram photos, "It's giving main character, comedian, real, hot, yup I'm invested!"
And Demi Burnett called Maria a "queen" and an "icon" on social media, adding, "I am afraid of how much I love you."
Many people are also rooting for Maria to become The Bachelorette's Season 21 star.
"I don't fit the mold at all, but it's nice to know that people see me and still want me," Maria shared.
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"People are really hoping that I find love, so whether that's Bachelorette or me out in the dating world, I love that people are supportive of me."
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Maria went on to reveal what exactly she's looking for in her next partner.
"Just so everyone knows, I want someone who is going to see all of me and love it for all that I am and not question why I am the way that I am," Maria concluded.
When asked if she'd like to star on The Bachelorette later this year, Maria recently told Us Weekly, "I would be stupid to say no."
But Maria admitted it's wild to even think about potentially being the franchise's leading lady this year.
"It is crazy to think that I was even considered and people want to see me in that position," Maria said.
"I've never once thought about it, like, to even think I would get the chance... But yeah, I mean, even being told that I should -- I don't know. I don't know! It is a lot."
Maria also apparently doesn't have any regrets, even though she had almost quit The Bachelor competition twice and waited until moments before her ouster to tell Joey that she was "falling in love" with him.
Maria was also involved in a lot of drama over the course of the season, although she felt unfairly attacked and targeted most of the time.
Click here to learn more about Joey's The Bachelor bachelorettes or click here to read spoilers that reveal how Joey's season ends and who he picked as his winner.
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