Boys Boys Boys

So I joined Tinder two weeks ago, and it’s been quite the trip.

First off, I enjoy it so much more than OKCupid, mostly because only guys I’ve swiped right and deemed reasonably attractive can message me. No more junk mail or feeling guilty for not responding to great messages from fugly guys!

Unfortunately, December is a stupid time to wade back into the dating pool. This has been a crazy week, and I doubt the upcoming one will be much better.

Last week I went on three Tinder dates.

Date 1

The guy was 20 minutes late. I’d already left to catch the bus home when he messaged me to apologize, saying he’d missed the Seabus and then had to deal with a work emergency. Feeling benevolent, I headed back to our meeting spot and went on the date anyway. We ended up having a fun time, so it wasn’t a bad choice.

He was short. Like, maybe one inch taller than me, and I’m only 5’5. (That’s one of Tinder’s flaws – there’s so little information aside from a picture that you never know what you’re gonna get.) But he was okay-looking and fun to talk to, owns an HVAC business, runs and surfs. We got tacos and then went to a dive bar to play foosball and arcade games. We didn’t have a ton in common (he doesn’t eat meat, parties a LOT, and sounded a bit casual about the whole dating thing), but we had interesting conversation. I said I’d see him again, but I’m not sure that it’s worth it since I feel like we’re looking for different things. For a first Tinder experience, it wasn’t terrible. He told me I’m way prettier in person than in my pictures, not that my pictures were bad. I should tell that to my friend Ben who thinks my profile picture is “too fancy” and gives the wrong idea of what I look like. Pffft.

Date 2

A pharmacist who lives in Yaletown, the yuppie part of downtown, which made me a little wary, but he did not confirm the stereotype. We met for drinks on Granville on Friday night, for which he was late because a lady outside of his building tripped and cut her head open and was bleeding everywhere, so he played the hero and called an ambulance then waited with her with towels. He was very cute, like a husky, dark-haired John Krasinski with dimples. Conversation was easy and fun and the night flew by, so when he suggested we go to the Roxy for the LOLs, I was more than willing. First we got a slice of pizza at Romano’s, where two super-drunk sisters told us how cute we were, and when one of them asked how long we’ve been together, he immediately said “7 months”. All night long I kept worrying we’d run into Greg, since all three places we went are some of his favourites, but fortunately there were no sightings and no drama. At the Roxy we danced a little but mostly people-watched, and then we kissed and I was dizzy from how good it was. He was super-affectionate and made references to future hangouts. It was hard to say no when he invited me up to his place around the corner, but he was sweet and hailed me a cab right away when I eventually did.

We’ve texted a bit since Friday and I can’t wait to see him again. It was the most fun I’ve ever had on a first date and the most stoked I’ve felt about anyone I just met, including Greg. I’ve been telling myself to get a grip but keep catching myself smiling like a dumbass thinking about Friday night. Even if things don’t work out, I want to remember this: dating can be fun and magical.

Date 3

The triathlete. This guy was calling me on the phone almost every day before we met, which started to feel a bit much by the end of the week. In person, I wasn’t very attracted to him. He looks like Andy Samberg with a buzz cut, and while I do find Andy cute, with the triathlete it was more of a platonic feeling. Nevertheless, we have a ton in common and spent most of the date (drinks and snacks in New West, a middle ground between the two of us) chatting about running, training, and food prep. He’s a super nice guy and I could tell he was really into me, but it wasn’t mutual, and I don’t think it would have been even if I hadn’t had the amazing date with the pharmacist the night before.

I will probably see him again, just to give him a chance to grow on me (and to not put all my eggs in one basket), but I don’t know… I really felt like I’d met a new friend and nothing more.

And that’s my Tinder experience thus far! So far so good.