Elise Mosca Defends Leaving 'Bachelor in Paradise' With Chris Bukowski

— -- Elise Mosca shocked "Bachelor in Paradise" viewers Monday by leaving the show early with Chris Bukowski.

But the reality-TV star told ABC News that she knows she made the right decision.

"I came to paradise to leave with someone, to have a boyfriend, to start something," she told ABC News. "I don’t want to spoil anything, but if leaving with Chris was the first step of that, I was willing to take it and I’m glad I did."

Mosca, who previously appeared on Juan Pablo Galavis' season of "The Bachelor," was asked by Bukowski, who had to leave the show because of a knee injury, to join him on his trip back to Chicago. She said the opportunity to "get to know each other outside of the show and away from the cameras" was too good to pass up, though she admitted she did consider the advice of her friends of the show who told her to slow down.

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"I was excited and felt honored that he wanted me to meet his family and see his hometown," she explained. "At the end of the day if I didn't leave with Chris, I would always be wondering what would have happened if I didn't go with him. That made him special, that he wanted me to meet his family and take the next steps in our relationship."

When asked whether she was still dating Bukowski, Mosca declined to answer. But she added that "all decisions in life lead to something good and the path you are meant to be on," and said if things don’t work out, she'd be open to doing a show like "Bachelor in Paradise" again.

"[The show] just opened my eyes that I will give my 100 percent to love and that should never be looked at as a negative or bad thing," she said. "I didn't come to paradise to play games or be tested but it's the same in life: Just do your best every day because no one is perfect but when it comes to unconditional love that person will learn to fall in love with your imperfections, or at least learn to maybe not understand them, but love you through it anyway."

For a look at Mosca's off-camera hometown date with Bukowski, see her Instagram post below.

#HometownDate #BachelorinParadise style meeting @chrisjbukowski family in #Chicago #repost #Yopo