Juelia Kinney was a memorable contestant on The Bachelor season 19 and Bachelor in Paradise season 2. Our hearts broke when she shared her incredibly brave story with the world and our hearts completely melted when we saw how much she loved her daughter. Since leaving The Bachelor, she has taken on a new business venture and has been doing well. She just moved back to San Diego and is currently opening a retail store.
It's a store for women and children and it's called Sea + Wander. The store is very beachy and boho style and it's grand opening is July 9th. You can check it out by visiting sea-and-wander.com and by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can keep up with Juelia and her daughter, Ireland, by connecting with her on social media. Learn more about her Bachelor experience and a few of her favorite things in the Q&A below.
Where did you grow up?
Portland, Oregon
What was your family like?
I actually have a twin brother and 2 older brothers and my parents divorced when I was 11 or something like that. But it was good. I played outside a lot as a kid.
Tell me about your first crush.
My first celebrity crush was probably like Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
What did you do after high school?
After high school I went to college at Oregon State University and I studied fashion and interior design. Then I had a buying and management internship with Macy’s in San Francisco and then they offered me a position to move anywhere in the United States and I decided to move to San Diego. I’d never been there before, I just wanted to be in the sunshine and near the beach.
What did you do prior to The Bachelor?
I ended up starting an insurance brokerage in Oregon for health and life insurance and I ended up selling my portion and coming back to SD where I actually was a mortgage broker for an online mortgage company.
What inspired you to go on The Bachelor?
My husband passed away and I was single for a year and a half and I decided that it was time to start dating again. I joined Match and I went on 3 of the most horrible worst dates I’ve had in my entire life and I called my best friend and I was like oh my god, this is what I have to choose from now? What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to find a good guy and she jokingly was like oh my gosh you should totally go on The Bachelor ha ha ha and I’m like oh my god I should go on The Bachelor you know? These guys are already screened and they’re supposed to be a great guy so I applied and the rest is history.
What was it like as a mother, leaving home to pursue The Bachelor?
When I applied for The Bachelor I didn’t think I was actually going to be chosen, it was more like, "Oh, I guess I'll try." So when I was casted, it was crazy leaving my daughter. But at the time she was really close with my dad and my step mom, which is who she stayed with while I was gone on The Bachelor. They absolutely loved that time with her and she really bonded with them so it was actually a good thing. Also, it was the first time I had time to myself since my husband died because I was always with her. It was actually good for a lot of reasons. I got some time to myself, my parents bonded with my daughter, it was good.
I see that you are good friends with an array of Bachelor alum. What would you say was the best friendship you the show gave you?
I would say Carly for sure. Tenley and Jade as well, we're all still super close and talk all the time.
What was your favorite memory from the show?
On The Bachelor, probably watching Ashley on the zombie date. On Bachelor in Paradise, it was getting stung by a jellyfish and trying to get my friends to pee on me.
Was it hard to adjust back to everyday life after the show?
Oh my gosh, yes. After the show it's very difficult because you've just been through a whirlwind of an experience and you have no phone, no tv, no internet, really no contact with the outside world. We didn't even know what news was going on in the world, it was crazy. It was like being held hostage where you don't know what's going on in the world. So to go from basically being in the same place for however long with no contact to being thrown back into your life where you can do whatever you want again, it sounds silly, but it's so crazy to have all that freedom back. Nobody really understands what you just went through, which is why I think people get so close after the show because you have to talk to each other because no one else gets it.
Did your friends treat you differently after the show?
The only people that I would say treated me different were acquaintances. They pretended we were really close when we weren't, so that was really weird.
Is there anything you would do differently if you were able to do the show over again?
I would say no. I was extremely genuine the whole time and went with my heart in all situations. I did the best that I could with the information I had at the time and that's all you can do.
Are you currently seeing anyone?
No. I mean I am dating, I just haven't met anyone that compliments my lifestyle.
How old is your daughter now?
She's 3. She's obsessed with the beach so we go to the beach all the time. She loves going and eating at restaurants, probably because I don't cook very much so she thinks thats normal. She loves swimming in the pool and she loves swinging, that's her favorite thing at the park, she could swing all day long.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Carbs.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Honestly I would love to go to Australia. I don't have anything specific in mind right now but I would definitely want to be by the beach.
What’s your most prized possession?
My Keurig. My favorite coffee doesn't come in a K Cup but you can use your own filter and it's a blend that's local in Oregon. I can't get it in San Diego so I have to stock up when I go back home.
What is your favorite song right now?
Probably any of Blake Shelton's new songs.
What is your all-time favorite movie?
Dumb and Dumber.
What’s your go to meal?
I eat really bland food, so it's not that hard. I'm an extremely healthy eater, so I eat the same things all the time. I like to do rice cake sandwiches, they're really good. I take hummus and cheese and turkey and put it on rice cakes and it's delicious. It's only like 300 calories and it feels like you're eating a lot.
What’s something every one should do at least once in their life?
Get yourself out of your comfort zone somehow. I would say move somewhere away from your friends and family at least for one year to grow and experience something new and get yourself out of your comfort zone.
How do you like to relax and wind down after a long day?
Go to the beach and drink wine. It's so nice.
What’s the quote or saying you live by?
You miss 100% of the chances you never take.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Never give up. Even when it's hard.
Do you have any advice for the single ladies and gentlemen that may be reading this article?
For people that are single in general, I would just say to find out who you are as a person and what you want before you try to find a relationship because you need to be whole before you can participate in a healthy relationship. Find somebody who compliments your life, not just someone who can be in your life but someone that's your best friend that you can have fun with in little situations like going to the grocery store. Don't be in a relationship just to be in one.
For single parents, I would say to always make sure your kid is your #1 priority but still make sure you do things for yourself. Your child is going to look up to you and see that you love yourself enough to have a life and still do things for yourself and I think that's really good role modeling for them in the future, being able to have balance.
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