Five unconventional places to find a Valentine's date
Tired of using dating apps? Try your luck in these other areas!
At A Glance
- You don't necessarily need to go on an <i>Eat, Pray, Love</i> journey to find your true love or, in this case, your Valentine's date.
By JELLYN GUECO
Only a few days to go before Valentine’s Day and if you’re still solidly single, you might be feeling hopeless thinking you’re going to be all alone again. While there’s nothing wrong with embracing self-love and celebrating this day alone, some of you might be looking for that special person (or any person) to spend it with.
But the big question is... where exactly? You’ve already scoured dating apps, joined a gym, and even triple-checked if any of your high school exes have suddenly become hot and available overnight. Nada! If you’ve exhausted the common places to find a date, here are five unconventional places you might not have thought of before. Have an open mind and who knows? You might just find yourself a Valentine’s date in the most unexpected of places.
LOCAL TOURS
You don't necessarily need to go on an Eat, Pray, Love journey to find your true love, or in this case, your Valentine’s date. One clever hack is to book local tours in your area that are popular with tourists. This is a novel way of meeting new people from different places and countries, all without straying too far from your zip code.
While you will have to spend money on tour tickets and museum entrances, this is a much cheaper way than going on a backpacking tour of Europe or a retreat in Bali just to find a potential match.
GENDER-SKEWED PLACES AND EVENTS
At the risk of sounding gender-insensitive and stereotypical, the reality is that there are some places and events that tend to attract a particular gender more than the other. For instance, toy conventions and gaming events tend to have a higher male turnout while cutesy cafes and Pilates classes often have more females.
If you’re looking to meet new people of your preferred gender, one technique is to go where the gender ratio is in your favor. If you’re a woman looking for a man, the chances of meeting a potential date are higher in a car show than in an estrogen-packed yoga class. Remember that you always have to be the minority so you can have more options to choose from.
Do you want someone ambitious, career-oriented, and driven? Take your date hunt to a different level and be active on LinkedIn. Nope, don’t go in there sending every person with a good-looking headshot and CEO title a pickup line! That’s going to get you spammed and reported real quick.
Being active means connecting with people you know and their network, posting about your accomplishments, and sharing industry-related articles that reflect your interests and values. By expanding your network and showcasing your professional side, you increase your chances of meeting someone who has similar aspirations.
FACEBOOK GROUPS
If you’re one of the three million strong members of the Facebook group Home Buddies, you might have read about the engaged couple who met through the group. A heartbroken guy posted about the house he was building for his ex-girlfriend and it was this post that paved the way for him to meet his current fiancee!
But since catfishing and fake profiles are on the rise, it’s understandable if you’re skeptical about finding a date through social media sites like Facebook.
One advantage of Facebook groups, however, is that members join for shared interests. This means you already have something in common that could potentially spark a connection. It somehow reduces the randomness of adding just anyone from the internet.
GOVERNMENT OFFICES
This is not about flirting with the public servant behind the counter and being a
cause of delay in the already never-ending queue. This is about making the most of your otherwise wasted time by being mindful of the people around you while waiting in line in a government office.
Whether you’re renewing your driver’s license or getting an NBI clearance, don’t
be afraid to strike up a conversation with the person next to you. You never know, they might be single or know of someone who is. You might already be sitting next to your future mother-in-law while lining up to have your new passport photo taken!
And since you’ll probably have to present your official ID and other documents, you can immediately learn about their essential info and, more important, whether they’re single or not.