Work stress tends to lighten in the summer months. Less deadlines, more vacations and focus turns outside of the office for the first time in months. Winter holidays such as Hanukkah and Christmas revolve around family and established relationships while burdening us with financial and time commitments. Summer holidays are more easy-going with BBQs and beach parties while encouraging all to join in the festivities and new connections to be made. We all want someone special for the winter holidays but rarely give thought to summer being when those connections are made.
So now that your eyes and hearts are open, where should you go on these first few dates?
Adrenaline, activity and admire. These are three words to remember when dating someone new. You never want to make a new interest sweat (physically or mentally), but a little adrenaline helps us feel good and be more receptive. Activity helps not only with these good feelings but also provides entertainment outside of each other. Admiring your date comes from watching, yes, but more so from conversation. This is where it can be a good idea to slow the date down into a more intimate setting for the chance to open doors to the mind, heart and if you are a man, building.
A beach day with some surfing, water park or drive-ins are some great ideas for third dates but try to hold off on anything that implies looking for action or seeing your date in a bathing suit until then.
If you do want to go to the beach on a first date, hitting the boardwalk is a great idea and there's usually a versatile selection of restaurants close by. Amusement parks follow in the same vein but may be better to hold off on until a later date unless there's half day pricing available. On the first time out, it's better to only hit the rides for an hour or two (try to keep it at that) and then talk over a fun bite to eat. If you're looking for a different scene, there's plenty of outdoor restaurants and bars to choose from with great ambiance; especially if there's live music. Ask those around you, check places on the internet for ideas. Check your local Chamber of Commerce and search engines for local festivals as well. It's a great two or three hour date with limited cost that offers live entertainment, drinks, food and more. Fishing or an easy hike can be unexpectedly fabulous. They give you the chance to talk while outdoors in a surprisingly romantic environment. Just make sure your date doesn't despise the idea and keep the physical exertion at an easy level. You're not likely to be aware of your date's abilities yet and no one is going to feel sexy panting and perspiring while trying to get to know someone new.
Concerts, theater, sporting events, museums and art shows are great ideas as well but save those until the second or third date when you have a better feeling for your new honey-bunnie's tastes and are sure you want to spend longer periods of time together. If you're looking for more romantic ideas, a sunset dinner cruise could be one of the most romantic ones out there and you can almost match it on a budget with a sunset picnic followed by a moonlit stroll. Wine tasting can be surprisingly cheap if you research your wineries before-hand and can be made even better by renting bikes to ride from winery to winery. Once you're comfortable meeting each other's friends, BBQing or camping are great ways to go. Just make sure your new sugar-britches has what they need to make it a good experience (blow up mattress, location with a shower, bug spray). And last but not least, you'd be surprised how fun and meaningful volunteering together can be.
Now that you've got the info., all that's left is to get out there and get 'em tiger. Happy hunting!




"I joined IJL because I came new to the SF bay area and didn't know a lot of people. Originally I only wanted to meet inspiring people and get out in the city in great locations. However it turned out totally different: I met Neil on April 22, 2009 and we immediately felt attracted to each other. We moved in together in September and got married in San Francisco on April 22, 2010. IJL was one of the best things that could have happened to me. Everything - the very first phone call, the personal interview, the date arrangements as well as the feedback calls were all very professional and well organized. I personally liked the feedback calls. Since Neil was my 6th interview, I could observe the improvements in terms of matches from date to date. Thanks to the whole IJL team!"