Valentine’s Day came and went and there are a number of people turning their dating apps off and putting their social skills to the test, it may be time for you to start thinking about the best ways to romance without endless swiping.
It would be fair to say that through our online dating experiences so far, we have been “ghosted”, thrown “below the belt” chat up lines (in some cases, quite literally), and have spent so much time communicating online, that often meeting people in reality is a long shot… sigh.
But lately, people have been focusing on meeting people in real life. As more people skip over the pre-date conversations, it will be easier to tell just how interested your potential partner is and to eliminate your time being wasted.
I asked 7 people how they met people offline and the results are super interesting…
Meeting through a Friend
“I met my partner through one of my really good friends. I’d recently split with my previous boyfriend so, therefore, was at a loose end so started going out on a more regular basis with her circle of friends. We got chatting and the rest is history.” – Dilan
Hobbies
“After deciding Tinder was a complete waste of space, I decided that when I moved house I should meet people with a similar interest to me.I took up beating and shooting and have had some amazing dates because of joining a crowd who are also into hunting. To be able to get into the countryside, stay active, and learn a new hobby is way more interesting than being invited to the pub or cinema.” – Natalie
Gigs and Concerts
“I met my boyfriend at his first gig after I was invited along by a friend whose partner is also in the band. After the gig, I told him he played really well and that I would definitely come to see them again. The next day we spoke via social media and by the time I knew it I was at another one of his gigs where he put his hat on me after the show. When I left, he turned to my friend and said he really likes me, to which she replied ‘well, ask her out then.’ We have been inseparable ever since.” – Lissy
Work
“They say that you shouldn’t mix business with pleasure as the combination can lead to disastrous consequences. Yet, on occasion striking a relationship up with a co-worker can create the perfect recipe for an office romance that really can be the cherry on top of the corporate cake. I started dating my co-worker who sat across from me in the office. We both started at the same time so we used to leverage this to talk to one another over the office chat system every day. As time progressed, we started to meet for lunch and talk more outside of work. We realized we had so much in common which simply started from a friendship without really trying.” – Lendo
Coincidence
“Dating apps are 100% useless; boys use them to pass the time and to meet girls for one reason. I’m a firm believer in that one day you’ll just bump into someone and that will be it… I was riding my horse down the road one day and fell off, a man in his car got out and helped me up, we exchanged numbers and a couple of weeks later we went to the zoo because it was just as random as we met…” – Aysh
Teaching Abroad
“Volunteering abroad is the best way to meet likeminded people, as they are going through the same experience as you are. I was teaching English at a Primary School in Ghana when I met my partner.We were talking every day at school and both teaching the same subject. I remember thinking that he was so friendly and such a good guy.” – Redgie
Team Sports
“I was part of a social volleyball team whilst I was working in Bermuda for 3 years. We needed a mixed team to enter the league and we couldn’t find many female players. We were on the beach practicing one day and there was this girl sat near to the court, drinking a beer with her friend. I approached her to ask whether she wouldn’t mind playing and she was keen to chip in. We played 4 games and won all of them. Afterward, we went to the pub to celebrate, we started seeing each other on a more regular basis and a few years later decided to move back to the UK together.” – David
Offline dating should be experimented by anyone with the intention of finding something steady and authentic, rather than a brief encounter with a sure expiry date. “Whether it’s a singles event, a new hobby, or a dating agency, finding new ways to meet people in the real world will be so much more beneficial than you can ever imagine.”
Featured image via Jeswin Thomas on Pexels
