Hey guys! I've been getting back into dating after 10 years (!) and I'm feeling a bit out of the loop with some things. I got onto an app, took some nice pics, did the swiping and made good chat about the things on his profile. Now we're up to the date part and I'm feeling a bit stuck so hoping you can help!
What do you think would be a good first date experience? Also what would be a bad first date so I know what to avoid?
He's into video games and anime but also walking and the outdoors, he's got a puppy too so that could be fun to incorporate maybe? Or would that be too much? We live in a coastal town so the beach is an option.
Yes these are fun suggestions, thank you. I really like the idea of go karts but not a lot of conversation involved, maybe a second or third time meeting for that one.
I usually just grab a couple beers and we walk and chat in the park. If it's not good, short walk. If it's good, longer walk, or maybe shorter walk since my place is nearby...
For me a bad first date would be going to a fancy restaurant.
I usually go for a walk, because you can make it as short or as long as you want. I.e. if the date is not going well, then you can say something and part ways, as opposed to going for dinner, then you are trapped for some hours. If the walk is going well, then you can always keep walking, sit in a park or go for dinner.
For me it’s always been dinner and drinks. I like restaurants that are oriented around shared plates, like tapas or some American restaurants. I’ll generally only date-date like that after we’ve connected in conversation and I’m confident that the dinner conversation will be a continuation of how we’ve been connecting before.
Sometimes it falls flat, but we still get drinks and a chat out of it. Sometimes it’s just a great date, and sometimes things move on from there. My thing is that if I’m looking for something serious, I want to have those engaged conversations and interactions from the start.
Dating can be horrible and awkward, so my strategy is to do something I would enjoy even if I wasn't on a date or if I was alone.
Fortunately, trying new restaurants and art exhibits and things like that fall in that category. I also try not to repeat dates with different people, so even if I'm meeting for coffee, I'll try a new coffee shop each time. Makes the whole process more fun for me and that, I think, makes it more fun for him.