Dating stories are like Riverdale plot twists–just when you think they can’t get crazier, something happens to raise the game. With a recent study reporting single women have over 40 first dates a year, there’s more fodder than ever for TV-ready drama, whether it’s the kind where you meet your soulmate… or the kind where you meet “aura healers” in a Venice Beach cult, which you naively thought was a farm-to-table restaurant. (Yes, this actually happened to Faran, our Editorial Director… No, she didn’t let it happen again.) We asked Newsette readers for their most memorable dating experiences, and what they’ve learned about themselves–and the types of people who made them swipe right–in the process.
The One Like When You Get in the Wrong Uber…
“After matching on an app, I walked into a bar, sat down, and started talking to a guy who wasn’t my date! I didn’t realize until 5-10 minutes in! Then we laughed, and I walked two chairs down to the correct guy… and left pretty soon after that.”
– Marcy A.
The One Without Boundaries
“The guy went to use the bathroom and rubbed his cheek against mine to ‘leave his scent on me’ so no one would come talk to me while he was gone! I left shortly after… but he texted me inviting me to go away with him the following weekend. As if he didn’t get the hint?!”
– Sara B.
The One With Maple Syrup
“He drove 30 minutes for IHOP pancakes in the snow because I said I wanted them. We hit a patch of ice and slid into a ditch. We got stuck in his truck and had to wait for his friends to tow his car out. The pancakes were worth it!”
– Kaillie R.
The One With the Great Dress
“I wore a white dress. He offered me his sweater. The date lasted 12 hours.”
– Jade T.
The One from Comic-Con
“We matched on Bumble and planned to meet up for our first date later that week. A couple of days before our date, he asked me if I would still be into him if he showed up in onesie pajamas; I said yes, thinking he was just goofing around. He was not goofing around. This guy actually showed up to our date in a skintight Deadpool onesie just to make me laugh. (We’re going on 4 years together now!)”
– Laila D.
The One With French Fries
“I met a guy at a bar who told me he liked how much fun I was having dancing alone, and not paying attention to anyone. (LOL, my dance moves are questionable.) He kept our first date a surprise, but it turned out to be a french fry crawl for the two of us (after he learned about my extreme love of fries). He mapped out the Top 5 places in our city and we tried the fries at each one. Best first date ever!”
– Alexandra S.
Quick dating app advice from readers:
“Many people complain about never getting any responses and when I look at their messages it’s because they haven’t asked anything. People want to know the person they’re speaking with is interested in learning about them and the best (and really only) way to do that and create that connection is to ask questions!”
– Brooke B.
“Don’t take anything too seriously—yourself, whoever you’re talking to. Banter is fun. Listen to your gut.”
– Gab B.
“Don’t set rules for yourself (ex: you can’t date right after your relationship ends, etc.). And don’t waste your time on people who don’t want the same thing that you do.”
– Ilana M.
Do you have a first date story we have to hear? Tell us here.