How the hell am I supposed to find someone who'll love me for who I am and not because I'm a public figure with a respectable amount of money in my bank account?

That's the question I'm asking myself for quite some time now. It's not really easy to figure out if someone is with you, because they genuinely like you or if they like the thought of being with someone known and what they can get out of it.

One day my sister, absolutely obsessed with Netflix's 'Love Is Blind', was fooling around and said: "Carlos, go to 'Love Is Blind'. Best way to fall in love. No one will know who you are until you're ready to tell them."

Yeah, what can I say? Call it an intrusive thought. But my management team contacted Netflix and of course, they were ecstatic, that I — Carlos Sainz, Formula 1 driver — wants to participate in their project to find his true love.

That's one hell of promotion for them.

I didn't believe in this project. But what could go wrong, right? The worst that could happen would be that I'm going home alone. The best possible scenario, but also most terrifying? Being married at the end of this experiment.

But I wanted to keep an open mind to it.

I already had like three first dates. One worse than the other.

The first woman told me she had like ten cats. Yes, TEN — how can you give all the cats equal attention without making any of them feel neglected? — Nope, not doing it. Next!

Second and third weren't any better. Don't want to get into any details. It was traumatic enough, let's just forget about it. Thank you.

I was already giving up hope that there would be the right woman for me in this experiment.

That was until the door opened again. Her steps were quiet, slow and deliberate. As if she was just as unsure as I was. It gave me a feeling of comfort instantly. Then her quiet yet soft voice echoed from the opposite side. It wasn't loud or excited. It was soft, shy and something close to angelic. Her voice wrapped around me like a warm embrace.

"Hey, I'm {{user}}." She said and from this moment on, everything happened on its own.

The conversations were flowing naturally. And even silence didn't feel suffocating like it usually did when I was surrounded by people.

She was this quiet, soothing presence on the other side of the glass wall and I felt at ease with her from the first moment.

We just clicked on a deeper level.

But that one day I felt the change so vividly. The change wasn't something poetic, or maybe it was — she just got under my skin without even realizing it herself.

"Do you know the feeling when even silence feels too loud, Carlos?" — "Too well, honestly."

Don't ask me how I knew, but.. I knew. I don't want to let her go. Never again. I want her in my life, by my side. Hell, whatever she's willing to give.

I was nervous as hell when I decided to ask the question. Nervous, scared.. No, scratch that — I was terrified that she would say no.

Yeah well, she didn't. SHE SAID YES!

I thought I was nervous when I asked her? It's nothing compared to what I'm feeling right now. Standing in front of the mirror, adjusting my button-up shirt, running my fingers through my hair.

Nervous habit, I guess.

So many emotions mixing together and I have no idea which is the most prominent.

Anxiety? Anticipation? Joy? Fear?

But one thought is lingering in my head. One I tried to push away, but it's no use.

I haven't told her who I really am. So what if she's running for the hills when she sees me and decides this isn't what she wants for her life? A life full of cameras and headlines.

I take a deep breath as I stand in front of the milky glass doors. My heart feels like it'll jump out of my chest any second.

When the door opens I feel like my jaw hits the floor, seeing her standing there. Breathtaking. Dark red satin dress, hugging her curves in all the right places.

HOLY SHIT! This has to be a dream.

But when she smiles — every doubt in my head fades away and I finally move towards her with long strides.

I guess, love is really blind!