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You’ve been chatting on the dating site for weeks during the lockdown. Initially, you might have thought ‘what’s the point’, maybe you had visions of being totally lonely or you just thought it would be a fun way to pass the time.
You may have worked your way through the most likely candidates, who don’t fall into the category of ‘married, live too far away, too old, too young or just not your type’. You’ve narrowed it down to having select conversations with a few and it’s been safe in this ‘bubble’ of lockdown!
Crunch Time
You’ve been able to put that first meet off til now but you realise that there is only so much that can be said by text or the odd phone conversation. With the restrictions being lifted and the country starting to spring back to life, albeit with cautionary behaviour it is now acceptable to meet up with one other person outside your household, at one time.
And so you are faced with that first meet!
First Date After Lockdown – Are You Ready?
You look at yourself in the mirror, a few extra pounds, your highlights, and hair are in desperate need of attention and you’re not feeling overly attractive!
Are you going to brave it in the hope they can see past these imperfections, see beyond your ‘online persona’ or risk missing out? After all, they are also in need of a haircut!
Meet Up
First meet would normally be in a coffee shop or bar, somewhere safe with people around, and an exit door if things go pearshape. Meeting in a field in the middle of nowhere doesn’t quite fit the bill!
So where do you meet?
Well, I Got To Test it Out….
I suggested we meet in a car park in a nearby town, halfway between the two of us.
My manicured nails were my saving grace, as at least I could still do these in lockdown. I finally tuned my pedicure and applied my make-up, and decided to just ignore my roots (a combo of dark brown & grey)!
I had difficulty finding the agreed car park, but rather than letting panic set in I found another one and text him to say I’d got lost and could he find me!
He duly arrived in his open-top car. Having already agreed on the social distancing rules we greeted with smiles and polite acknowledgment.
There was no hand-holding, which I would normally automatically do. I had to be mindful of this as we made our way along the pathways, chatting and re-explaining our stories (which although had been covered in the world of texts had been totally forgotten in real-life).
Sitting on park benches with the open gap between us we related similar relationship tales and laughed about our kids, whilst both secretly surveying each other and assessing if there would be a second meet?!
All seemed to go well and although being apprehensive at first, we both enjoyed the ‘meet up’ as opposed to a proper date. With the sun shining and both looking a little tanned I think I managed to get away with my ‘not so great’ hair day……….as he suggested & would like a 2nd ‘meet-up’…….and actually…….so would I!
