Online dating success stories happen all year around, but when summer lovin’ is upon us, there’s a definite boom in the allure for budding romance. The way sunbeams kiss shoulder tops and abundant greenery rejuvenate us brings out that lively energy that’s so crucial for feeling and being attractive.
But, these are all part of the offline world. How can we take advantage of the summer so that our online dating experience heats up? The essential message is to keep your awareness attuned to opportunities that are relevant to your goals (building a relationship) and the present situation (in this case, the season!).
Read on for some examples of how you can take full advantage of what summer has to offer so that you can attract more people with your profile, create positive connections on your initial dates, and effectively navigate the one downfall of summertime: insanely busy vacation schedules.
1. First impressions are often made with your profile and you may want to consider tweaking your profile to reflect the summer. The purpose is to keep things relevant. You want someone to read your profile and use that information to paint a picture of how they might fit in the picture of your life. Everything you communicate through text and images is not supposed to be a rant of self indulgence, rather an effective profile acts as a call-out to the type of things you are looking for in a partner (such as enjoying certain activities together).
Keep things relevant by posting photos and only mentioning activities you enjoy doing in the summertime. Things like camping, walks, canoeing, outdoor sports, drinking on a patio, and so on. Mentioning these activities serves as an invitation for a future date to participate with you in these things. If you spend time talking about skiing or making snow angels, well, that doesn’t really help your situation now. Save that for the winter when it’s relevant.
2. Summer opens the door for an amazing array of exciting date ideas. If you can manage to add in the spice of adventure to your first few dates, mix it with the pleasure of being outside, and effectively create an unforgettable meeting, then your new connection will be off to a powerful start!
Of course there are ideas like sharing a cup of coffee on a beautiful patio, going for a stroll along a canal, or a picnic in a park, but let’s think outside the box. Why not take your date to a local festival? Live music is a great opportunity to connect through dance, outdoor street food festivals offer a fun way to explore with the pallet, and comedy themed festivals are great for setting a positive tone to the date (who doesn’t love to laugh?!). You can also go for a bike or walking tour of your city, go foraging for plants and mushrooms, or pack a ukulele or other instrument and go jam in your favourite park. Did I mention outdoor garden and tea parties? Go all out and dress in light, fancy clothes to amp up the fun factor!
3. Summer is great for online dating, but there is one very real drawback: vacations. This is the season where people always seem to be disappearing off for trips to the cottage, portage journeys, camping, extended family BlQs, and all other forms of travel.
This causes a problem because it disrupts the momentum of the dating game. You go on one great date with someone you met online, and before you can schedule a second they are going away for a week with the girls. By the time they get back, you’re off camping for a few days. It’s easy for the buildup of excitement and attraction to fade as our focus shifts to other areas of our lives and we don’t see the other person for a while.
Here’s how to navigate this situation to keep the flame burning:
If your date’s the one who left on vacation, be sure to keep busy. Don’t let your mind go down paths of insecurity and stress yourself out by wondering if they are going to meet someone else or whether or not you’ll hear back from them. It’s important to keep living your life. On the other hand, it’s helpful to send them a simple text to affirm the connection still exists for you and you’re interested in keeping things going. Something simple like, “I hope you’re having fun!†works well.
If you are the one who left, be sure to reach out when you get back from your summer trip. This will be a clear sign that you haven’t forgotten about them, that your initial dates left a good impression, and you’re wanting to continue building the connection. Take the initiative to suggest the next date, they will really appreciate you for it!
JUL
About the Author:
Stephanie Arnold is a writer, visual artist and composer who seeks to unveil the working structures of the human psyche. She works to share valuable insights that stem from personal experience and assist in the development of deeper levels of self-awareness, especially in regards to a sincere and healthy relationship to love and loving. The core of her philosophy is that self-love is the root of loving outwardly, and is therefore necessary to develop if one wishes to create fruitful relationships with others. Her evolving portfolio may be found at www.lovefromwithin.org.