Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Relationship Series: Part 4: Perfect Dates

I’ve had my share of dates and a few months ago, my little sister, new to the dating world, asked what she should do for her second date with a guy. She’s 17 so it’s a little more limited to things like ice skating, dinner and a movie, group date, etc. But she asked me what my perfect date would be, and when I told her, she was hysterically laughing at her nerdy sister. But I have a few ideas for, in my opinion, perfect dates for the 21+ crowd. 

So what did I tell my sister? This one is for the book lovers:
A perfect date would be a nice dinner that ended with a walk to a book store that of course had an attached coffee shop. The more hole in the wall the better, but I am also a frequent shopper at Barnes and Noble, they are open late on weekends too. A great dinner and then a 20 or 30 minute detour in a book store, where you may find me sitting on the floor in between aisles with a stack of books. It happens regularly. And of course a cup of coffee (decaf) to round out the night. 

Cheers version:
Take her to a place that is very familiar to you. One she has never been to, but you know the menu front and back without looking at it, perhaps give her suggestions if you know what she likes. Make sure not to sound too smug but enough to where she knows you are well liked. A girl can gauge a lot about a guy by how he treats the wait staff at a restaurant, as well as how he tips.

Adventurous:
I love a good adventure, I never back down from a challenge, and I love traveling and seeing new things. So a late night wine bar and a walk on the beach where the stars are the only thing out is one of my favorites. Who doesn’t want to get lost in crash of the waves, the overwhelming ocean, and sand in your bare feet? As someone who has hiked the continental divide, swam in the barrier reefs, climbed the Mayan ruins in Belize, I love anything and anyone that likes to be one with the natural world. So another perfect date? Doing a 4 or 5 hour hike up a mountain. This might have happened in March, and we might have run down 90% of the mountain. The view at the top was completely worth the huffing and puffing and the endorphins on the way down made it a great date!

Dress to Impress:
I am a jeans girl but I do love to put on a dress and heels on periodically. It’s more about the 'getting ready process' just being absolutely wonderful, it’s almost a spiritual experience. Going from a 7 to 10 in an hour is a Godly experience. So those few dates where a nice dress and heels that you will regret wearing at the end of the night are completely worth it. Especially when you are at a steakhouse getting wined and dined.

The Double and Triple Dates:
Group dates can be fun as long as everyone has something in common. When you are trying to get friends to go to dinner together, make sure everyone gets along and so conversation doesn't lull. Depending on the group: a bonfire, classy dinner party with board games, heading to a bar or going all out and dancing would be my choice of group dates.

St. Louis Zoo:
I have a soft spot for zoos. And I love the St. Louis Zoo the most. I am known to go quite a bit during the winter when the crowds are sparse. I am a biologist, I love all things science, and I tend to marvel at the animals. The sea lion house, the gorilla house, the elephants, the lions, etc…. The only section I don’t like are the penguins. I just don’t find it appealing. But if it’s around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, you can find me at the zoo.

Anything musical, theatrical, or a good festival:
In St. Louis, they have the Muny and the Fox. I’ve been to New York City to watch the Rockettes in their Christmas show, I have been to the Fox for the Nutcracker. I haven’t been to the Muny in years but I do love musicals and plays.  My first concert was at 20 years old, Brad Paisley showed me the light. A great concert of her favorite band or singer would work perfectly. I used to love going to festivals down south: grits festival, cajun festival, flowertown fair, etc. It's so much fun to walk through booths, eat funnel cake, and act like a kid for a few hours. St. Louis has a Greek festival I want to check out. 

Sports:
If she is a sports fan, tickets to a baseball game, football, college of NFL, ice hockey, etc. I love pretty much all sports. I get super into it. As my boyfriend knows, I’m not being rude, I am just watching the game. Sorry I’m not sorry. I’m a girl who loves football, plays fantasy, and enjoys a good sports bar.


No matter where you take her on a date, just make sure you have your phone put away, you are dressed appropriately, and the conversation comes easily. And have fun, don’t put pressure on a date. Enjoy yourself.
XOXO


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