Dating to Explore a Place

Exploring new places is fun! While you can utilize this methodology when traveling, I am more interested in the usage when moving to a new place.

When you’re moving to an area for the first time, you’re usually going in pretty blind. Even if you’ve been before, visiting versus living somewhere is very different.

• When you walk down the street you might come across a cool looking restaurant or shop, but you might be on your way somewhere else so you don’t have the time to stop in and then you forget about coming back.
• Maybe you have read a bunch of things online or seen cool places on TikTok that you want to check out, but are too scared to go alone and your friends are busy (if you even have any in the local area!).

Going on dates with people in a new area:

• Allows you to go to new things in the area that you can then enjoy by yourself or with others
• Can make going somewhere new less nerve-wracking
• Gives you an excuse to be able to do touristy things
• Gives you both something to talk about since you are experiencing something new
  • Even if the person has already been there before, they can see it through a different lens of you experiencing it for the first time

When in a new area, you should pay attention to where people’s hometowns are.

• Some people are going to be transplants while others will have grown up in the area, both of which will have different perspectives on the area.
  • People usually like to show someone around and it can be fun for both parties.
• The hard part is if you match with someone who is also trying to do the same thing as you: exploring by dating. However, if you are both adventurous enough this can be fun and still productive in trying new places/things.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that dating is not a replacement for real community and friends.

• If you are dating to fill a hole in your time or affection, then you will likely cling to that person.
  • Some people might like that, but others will not, and being codependent in a relationship is usually not a good thing anyway.
• Some people can stay friends after meeting on dating apps, but it really depends on the person, so you’d probably have a better chance making friends in other ways.
  • However, if you’re okay with handling rejection then I do think that making friends from dating apps really broadens your cicles because it puts you in touch with people you would have otherwise not crossed paths with.