How To Make The First Move And Meet In Real Life

Online dating is a wonderful way to meet like-minded singles who share your love of fitness, adventure and keeping active. And, even better, you can do this all from the comfort of your own home. It can, however, be very easy to fall in to the ‘penpal’ trap – exchanging lots and lots of messages without every making the move to meet up with the people who you are talking to. So, how can you make the first move and suggest meeting in real life?

1. Test The Waters

If you’ve exchanged a few messages and get a good feeling about this person; you seem to share the same values, you have a similar outlook on life and you think there may be a spark, then why waste time? We recommend sending a message to test the waters and see if they would be up for meeting, no pressure. If yes, then great! You can start to plan your first date. If no, then follow our tips below.

2. If One Of You Is A Bit Shy

We get it; going from exchanging messages where you get time to think about what to say and how to respond to meeting in person is a big step, and one that can be quite daunting. If this is a little too much then why not have a phone conversation first? You’ll get to know them a lot better than virtual messages allow and you can relax into the conversation without the ‘first date’ nerves.

3. If You’re Still A Little Cautious

Modern technology really is wonderful, allowing people to connect over hundreds of miles. It also lets you ‘meet virtually’ in total safety. How about setting up a video call over Skype or FaceTime? You can get a much better feel for a person when you see their body language, and you can set up a specific account just for online dating to mean that you can separate it from other aspects of your life.

4. If You’re Still Holding Back From Meeting In Real Life

It’s time to ask yourself why you’re not plunging head in? Are you really ready for dating? Do you have some reservations about the person you’re messaging? Or is it them? You need to do a bit of soul searching to find out exactly what is holding you back, and what you can do about it. If it’s a case of feeling anxious, then we have some great advice for combatting first date nerves here. Or, if you feel the pressure of a first date is too much, head here for our ideas for fun conversation starters.