There are certain rules of thumb that both men and women should follow when setting up a first date. Since most of the time you are embarking on a journey with someone that you don’t know really well; it is important to always come up with first date ideas that easily offer both parties a way out. This way out can save you should you realize 10 minutes into dinner that the person you are with is revolting, rude, boring or just plain not your type! For this reason it is wise to never schedule far away, over night or lengthy venues like concerts or festivals for a first date endeavor.
The second rule of thumb is to always have a back-up plan. Make sure a friend knows where you are and what your itinerary is and come up with a secret code that can be texted, emailed or said over the phone that makes it clear you need to be saved from spending one more minute with the person you are out with. Have them call you an hour into the date and if things are going astray you can easily fib and say that it your Dear Aunt Margaret needs you to help her take a bath and that you just must go! Another way to ensure you are not endlessly tied and reliant upon a stranger is to insist on driving your own car or meeting in a mutual spot so that you have your own transportation readily available should you not.
Beyond that; coming up with first date ideas should be a true reflection of things you like to do. If you choose to go to a ballet (which you hate) in the hopes of impressing your date your boredom and yawns will naturally surface and you will not be putting your best foot forward. If the relationship lasts longer than a date or two you will have plenty of opportunities to endure outings that you find torturous at best. Some great ideas are to attend things like a carnival or theme park where everyone can find something that they find exciting. If that goes well from there you can choose to go out to dinner or for a movie afterwards. Other great first dates often involve some sort of exercise. Load the bike up and go on a trail ride or visit a stable where you can trail ride horses. River kayaking lessons or taking tubing trips down a river are also great summertime first date ideas. Check out your local attractions and you might be surprised at what you come up with right in your own backyard. By taking a day trip you are given the opportunity to either continue the date or end it without feeling like you are letting someone down and without feeling rude or seeming uninterested.
Bars and nightclubs are usually not good things to do on a first date. Between the booze, dancing and flood of other people you are both sure to find attractive there is little time to get to know the basics about another person. If you can find a common interest like football, basketball or baseball get tickets to a game (meet at the park) and even if you don’t like who you are with; you will at least enjoy what you are doing with your time. These types of events also have plenty of other people around so you are apt to be able to find distraction and safety should you find you are out with a crazy person.
If certain things about a person are absolutely vital to your being able to like them then choose an event that will give you a bird’s eye view into the other person’s feelings about the same thing. If you are a pet advocate, spend sometime volunteering at the local shelter or if you are keen on volunteering for specific causes invite your date along for an afternoon building a charity house or helping with the Special Olympics. By choosing things like that you are ensured to accurately and easily be able to assess your date’s worthiness in your eyes and it will avoid wasting months of dating just to find out that you beau is note exactly what you thought he or she was. It is silly when dating to waste time on people who don’t feel right from the beginning just to avoid being alone.
Some other first date ideas that will make your experience a success involve behavior. It is best to be true to your inner self from the beginning. Pretending to be someone you are not or trying extremely hard to impress someone will not pay off in the long run. Dating is really about finding a person that not only are you attracted to; but that you also feel a sense of companionship with. In the months and years that follow your fist date you want to know that you are liked and appreciated for who you really are and not be constantly holding back or resisting your personality for fear of rejection. If everyone was a bit more honest to begin with they would find that making it through the first date and building a relationship with someone that is truly a match would be a whole lot easier.
The first date can always be either a beginning or an ending point in two people’s lives. Although the mystery, excitement and possibility that someone new in our lives holds is part of the reason dating is fun; you don’t want to be on a continuous cycle of first dates. By coming up with great ideas that leave lots of flexibility as to the direction of the date and finding activities that you both find fun- you will at least be assured to enjoy your date whether you care very much for the person you are with or not! Life is about experience and the more experiences we can add to our life the better rounded and interesting we will be. Live and Learn!