Honestly, I was about two seconds away from deleting every dating app on my phone and just becoming a hermit. You know how it is—swiping for hours, matching with people who have the personality of a wet paper towel, and then finally meeting up only to realize you have zero in common. But idk, I tried a different approach last week and it actually worked out way better than I expected. Met this girl on a site that focuses way more on actual shared interests than just "who has the best filtered selfie." We ended up meeting at this dive bar that specializes in 80s arcade games. Usually, I'm super awkward on first dates, like forget-my-own-name level of nervous, but we spent three hours arguing over who was better at Pac-Man. It felt... normal. Which is rare these days. There wasn't that weird pressure to perform or be some "alpha" version of myself. We just laughed a lot and she actually listened when I talked about my dog. I was actually scrolling through some advice recently because I didn't want to mess it up after the first meet, and I found this article on what makes men fall in love that really hit home. It wasn't the usual cheesy "wear a nice shirt" stuff, but more about that genuine emotional connection and feeling appreciated for who you are. It made me realize that I wasn't just looking for a date, I was looking for someone who actually gets my sense of humor and doesn't mind that I'm a bit of a nerd. We’re seeing each other again this weekend. No arcade this time, just a walk in the park and maybe some actual food lol. Tbh, it’s just nice to feel hopeful about this stuff again. If you're struggling with the apps, maybe stop the mindless swiping and look for places where the matches actually mean something. It changes the whole vibe when you're not just a profile picture. Wish me luck for round two!
