8 First Date Ideas from Rahul M

It has been 3 days since I have started conversing with someone I met on andwemet. She lives in another city, but was willing to travel to my city to meet-up. I agreed since all our interactions up to this point had felt easy and real. I wished to meet this possible match in person, which meant going out on our 1st date. I wanted to ask the person out officially but held back as I wasn't sure if meeting for coffee or a meal would be the best way to get to know them better. Also, I admit that despite being confident and sure of myself I often get nervous before 1st dates. I wanted to meet this person in an informal and relaxed setting which did not include any food or beverage options as it brought along with it the drama of who pays. So, I called my friend who just so happens to be working at andwemet and asked him for suggestions. I loved all of the advice he gave me and wanted to share some of it with you:

Walk in the park

This is a great way to carry out your first date. It's casual yet fun. The openness of a park makes for great ambience and will allow you to have your own fun. Say, if you come across swings you can enjoy them., or If you enjoyed the walk and the conversation, you could decide to go to a café down the street for a bite. Conversely, if you didn’t enjoy it, you can bid them goodbye.

Cycling

This allows you to be in control of yourself as you peddle your bike while getting to know your date better. This kind of date will help you know the person for who they are since you’d be meeting them in a casual setting. Say your date does not know how to cycle, you can still invite them to learn from you. A great way to break the ice. Here again, if you enjoyed the interaction you can stop by at a road-side café for a tea/ coffee break and get to know each other in a more relaxed way.

Play a sport

This is an excellent way to break the ice and you doesn’t require you to be a sports enthusiast or a pro. You can go bowling, play badminton, tennis or even football.

Meet at a fruit vendor

Sounds strange, but try it out. Tell your date you want to see if they can identify fruits. You'll be surrounded by soothing colours of fruits and vegetables. This again is a great ice breaker, it  can lead to you recalling memories from your childhood and sharing stories.

Take an art class

You don’t have to be the new Piccaso or Micheal Angelo for this. Be you. You can be someone who has never lifted a paint brush, maybe you’d just want to paint with your hands? It’s up to you. You both can book and pay for your own classes for your first date. Painting is therapeutic and relaxing and exactly the kind of environment you want to be in for your first date.

Take a pottery lesson

It's fun, it's messy, it's dirtying your hands and it’s relaxing. Sign up for an individual class and enjoy your conversation as you enjoy the class.

Book a singing lesson

Here again you do not have to be as good as Beyonce or Lata Mangeshkar. You can even be someone who claps offbeat to a rhythm as long as you’re having fun. Look at the bright side, you get to experience something which you might never have tried otherwise. And if you do sing well, that can be an attractive feature besides your amazing personality.

Volunteer for a cause

This activity brings out the empathy and kindness that is so vital for every equal relationship. There are several volunteering options, from cooking in a temple for the hungry to planting trees, to going to a pet shelter or in Bangalore to be part of Ugly Indian movement. So many causes to show your support for!

Note from andwemet: We can say one thing for sure, even if there’s no spark for a second date, you would have enjoyed spending your time with this person. If there is a chance for a second date, you can pick another activity from the list above, become friends and then take it to the next step. Having said this, we do think that 80% of the time these dates will lead to a 2nd or even a 3rd date because all these activities have been designed to give the person an endorphin boost (happy hormones) and that’s exactly what you want when you’re meeting someone new to enter a relationship with.