Long time, no chat, my friends! I’ve been having a tough time getting my thoughts down into the blog lately, but tonight I had a surge of #feelings, so I knew it was time to check back in. I wanted to share all the things that have me feeling happy and fortunate and overall just plain good lately. And trust me, there are a LOT of updates, so you’re gonna want to keep reading. 😉 Enjoy! xx
My #1 Dating Struggle Right Now
In dating in Philly over the years, I’ve run into my fair share of things that have shut down my prospective relationships. From an unhealthy obsession with cats, to a very severe lack of common interests, to, of course, the occasional UDP (if you know, you know), sometimes matches just aren’t meant to be. But lately, the issue that seems to be plaguing my budding romances most stems directly from be me being confident about what I’m looking for, and that, for the most part, making the guy run the other way. And this all manifests itself in the planning. of. freaking. dates.
Having a Moment: How I Feel About Being Single Right Now
I haven’t written one of these Having a Moment posts in a bit, but I’ve been thinking about writing this one forever. Today, I guess I just got into a mood and this spilled right out. So here we go!
5 Philadelphia Ladies Share What Dating in Philly is like Right Now
I really try to be positive about the dating world. For me, my time trying to find love in Philadelphia has been filled with some peaks and valleys. There were times I could meet 3-4 different guys for dates in one week and be loving life. And then, there have also been times when, after rushing out of a second date I really shouldn’t have gone on in the first place, I’ve spilled out onto 13th Street, called my dad laughing/yelling/crying, and questioned, why am I even doing this?! Why does the quest for love seem so “easy” for some, and so, so difficult for the rest of us?
Today, you’ll hear from 5 Philly women, Melissa, Leah, Sarah, Tracy, and Tiffany, who are all out there in this city of ours, trying to make it work with a special someone. And while some of their answers are optimistic (You mean you actually meet men in person? You’ve never had to pay on a date? No dating horror stories…ever?), the last question really just says it all.
But before we begin, let me just say this: (and I’m speaking for you here ladies, so please chime in if I got it wrong) while our attitudes towards our dating lives might not be optimistic all of the time time, we’re still out there. Dating takes work and time and money and creativity and humility and honesty, and here we all are, soldiering on. We’ve seen our friends get married and we’ve heard the online dating success stories, so we keep going. All with the hopes that one day, we’ll find a guy who will laugh at the same TV shows as us, know exactly how we take our cocktails and our coffee, and surprise us with flowers, just because.
What 3 Men Really Think of My Philly Date Ideas
What a time, ladies, what a time. Being single again has brought some laughs, some screams, and some texts to my girlfriends with “why. me.” written 10x. I’ve also started listening to podcasts for the first time in my life. Yes, I know. The process of me going online, looking for, and listening to podcasts has been long overdue. According to my friends, I’m way behind on the times.
I’ve gone on a few dates with a “guy” (you’ll see why this is my naming convention of choice as we get to the m-e-a-t of the post): dinner, beer garden, and Terror Behind the Walls (the terror was true and real), and for tonight’s date, it was my turn to suggest. And suggest I did:
Keeping true to my list-loving personality, I just sent a guy 10 options for date #4 this Weds. Any interest in me making this a blog post?
– Her Philly (@HerPhilly) October 10, 2016
After seeing how many of you liked this idea, I thought I’d add a little bit of an extra spin to it, and get actual, real Philadelphia men to give me feedback on these 10 dates I very really suggested. I asked them to give me some quick thoughts on what they would think if a girl suggested these for date 4. Some of these you’ve seen on the blog before, some are new ideas. I don’t know what you guys think about concert dates. I think it’s wonderful especially when you can get concert details online (Drake presale code, for example) to plan ahead. Anyway, I’ve decided not to identify the guys (and just call them “guys”), but for some extra context, they range in age from 27-34 and all live in the city, so they’re pretty up on their Philadelphia knowledge. Oh, and one of them is my actual date for tonight, because I’m crazy. 😉
8 Fall Date Ideas in Philly
It’s pretty much fall – HOORAY. Fall, along with being my favorite season in general, is my favorite season for dating. You get to do cute, cozy activities, you don’t have to worry about sweating excessively before you even arrive at your destination (wear some pheromones to keep the love alive if you find you’re still getting a little sweaty), and, most importantly, your wardrobe options are much more robust.
Philly has so many seasonal things to do within a short drive. However, people who prefer staying at home can keep date nights simple by planning a dinner at home – get some flowers, decorate the table with candles and cook a lavish meal. Otherwise, try ideas like having a movie night with your partner; choose a movie or two, perhaps horror (look for websites like hellhorror.com for movie suggestions), since it can provide you a reason to sit close and cuddle. But know this, fall can be the best time to get out of the house, so once in a while, also plan an outdoor date with your partner.
So listen up ladies, this is one of the few times that I will highly recommend leaving the city and heading out to the burbs. The reasons for my acceptance of this are two-fold; first: concrete places without pumpkin patches or warm apple cider don’t necessarily scream fall, and second: our driving tolerance is at an all-time high due to this summer’s recent beach trips. And now, on to the dates!
21 Philadelphia Date Ideas
Hooooray hooray hooray – it’s finally Friday! In case you don’t follow me on, well, pretty much any social media channel, I wanted to share something pretty cool that happened to me early last week.
I’m a big fan of the Philly Thrillist site and always look forward to their emails. They send out a lot of their articles in list format (obviously one of my preferred methods for writing on this blog, as well!) and I usually pin something a few times a week from their site. I was thrilled (get it? I’m here all day.) when they asked me to cover a dating story, and after some brainstorming sessions and a lot of research, it was born: 21 Actually Great Date Ideas in Philadelphia.
Single in the City
This past November, I was a dependent woman. And not on any guy, but on none other than Tinder. Through many dates and many men, I’ve come to the conclusion that dating apps can be extremely limiting (especially when all of your friends are using them, too). In my experience (and you know I loved online dating at one point), after a while, apps can hold you back. My friends and I would go out in the city and not entertain any conversations with men, because, for all we knew, they were creeps. And why talk to creeps, when we could (hopefully) vet the endless supply of men waiting right on our cell phones (before we even had to deal with looking them in the eye)?
Philly Girl Summer Life {2014}
I have really been loving this summer. The sunshine makes me so happy. I don’t think I have done this season’s update post (see last summer), where I just get to talk about all of the fun and random things going on in my life . . . so here we are.
The Single Life
We all know I’m single (because it seems like I announce it every chance I get), but I don’t let that stop me from attending the things I want in the city. Last week, I posted a guest blog for Dîner en Blanc Philadelphia all about attending Diner en Blanc as a single woman. Check it.
{Online Dating} First Date Tips
My name is Emily, and I am riding the online dating train. For the past 10 months, I have been trying my luck online in hopes of meeting a great guy who likes to travel, appreciates Philadelphia sports teams, and makes me laugh. (It also wouldn’t hurt if he had a job & didn’t live with his mother.) On my first few dates, I was nervous, just like everyone else. But after over 30 first dates and meeting many, many different types of men, I’ve settled upon a few basic principles that make meeting a new guy a few times a month no big deal.
1. Suggest your own date location. For me, I only feel comfortable doing drinks on a first date, so I have a few select bars I use in rotation for my first date spots. Home court advantage means you’ll know how crowded the bar gets on certain nights, have a go-to drink to order or recommend, and feel comfortable overall.
2. Before you leave the house, give yourself 10 minutes to review your date’s photos and your online conversation. This helps your recognize your potential match quickly when meeting at a crowded spot, and gives you the confidence to reference things you’ve spoken about prior (and not ask men who are not nurses how their nursing job is going).
3. If you haven’t spoken on the phone yet, give your date a call on your way to meet him. Hearing his voice always makes me more comfortable as it takes away one layer of surprise. Plus, a quick chat on the phone gives you a chance to figure out exactly where he will be positioned at the meeting spot.
4. This one pains me to say, but, be prepared to pay. I am slightly spiteful about this point, but believe me, even the men you’re sure will pick up the tab can surprise you. Having cash on hand (and not just twenties, grab a few of those small bills) will make a potentially awkward situation a little bit less awkward.
5. Smile, breathe, and remember it’s just. a. date. Give yourself a few moments before you round the corner. Check your lip gloss, fix your hair, and take a deep breath. You are beautiful, fabulous, smart, and this date will go well. And if it doesn’t, cities are big, and the chance that you’ll ever see this man again is slim to none.
