‘Match Me Abroad’: Stanika’s Family Is Skeptical Over Her Moroccan Matchmaker Plans in Exclusive Sneak Peek

Match Me Abroad single Stanika is ready to travel across the world to look for love – even if her family doesn’t exactly agree with her decision. In a PopCulture.com exclusive sneak peek of the brand new TLC dating show, premiering Sunday, May 14, Stanika breaks the news to her family that she’ll be traveling to Morocco to find love with the help of her matchmaker Nina. 

At 32 years old, Stanika is feeling confident and ready to get into her first relationship after undergoing weight loss surgery a few years prior. After seeing a friend of hers in a happy relationship with an Arab man, Stanika became convinced Morocco would be a great place to find her perfect guy – with a little help from Nina. Now, on her birthday, Stanika is meeting with her family to reveal her secret travel plans.

“I have a matchmaker and I’m going to Morocco to find me some love,” Stanika tells her family, who look at her with shocked faces. “Why you gotta go to Morocco to find love?” her mom asks, as Stanika argues she “shouldn’t be confined to just what’s in America.” Her mom responds, “You don’t even know anything about Morocco. Child, what make you think you gonna be happy over Morocco?”

It’s then that Stanika reveals she would be gone for about three weeks before her family returns to their concerns regarding the cultural differences between the U.S. and Morocco. “I want the best for you, but I’m concerned because I understand the guys over there have more than one wife-” Stanika’s mom begins as her daughter jumps in to correct her: “That’s a stigma. That’s not true.”

Stanika’s mom is still worried about the cultural differences, however, telling the camera she’s worried “women have to bow down to some of these men, they have to follow these men’s rules and honey, that would not work.” She continues to her daughter, “You don’t go find love, love [finds] you, baby. You don’t go find no man.” Stanika responds, “Who said I’m going to find? I’m not finding.”

It’s then that Nina’s name gets thrown into the mix, and when Stanika promises her matchmaker has a “100% success rate,” her family seems to get a little more comfortable with the idea. “This is a huge world with beautiful people all over the world,” Stanika tells them. “You just don’t know if your soulmate is here or not.”

Jennifer, Stanika’s cousin, backs her up, “I just want her to have a good time. I want her to experience the food, just experience the culture, see what the spice shops are like, the food.” Stanika agrees, “Yes, I’m gonna do all of it, but I’m also going to meet people. … I haven’t had any success here in Mississippi, in the States. So, I want you guys to continue to stay open-minded while I go through this process and just root me on.” Match Me Abroad premieres Sunday, May 14 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.