The Dating Game

As a mid twenty-something, I've had my share of time playing the dating game as well as many friends who either are playing or have played said game. My friends and I are no exception to the female rule and we tend to share our stories, no matter how humiliating, amazing, mortifying, or life changing they may be. With that in mind, today I'm compiling a list of ways and places it seems to me that people are meeting these days and how I view them as far as success rates go. Let's take a looksie.

Let's start with the classic:
The Bar Scene -

I have had many personal experiences in meeting dudes in the bar scene. Whether it's bars I frequent or bars I've only been to once, I can say I've certainly put my time and effort into this aspect of the dating game.

The Pros -  Chances are this person you meet will be all about having fun and living up the nightlife with you, if that's something that's important to you. This person is likely to have an extensive group of friends who also enjoys doing the same and will probably enjoy closing down the bar with multiple shots of Fireball with you.

The Cons - From my experience, these people can also be too much fun and have little interest in taking things much further than the club and bedroom. Another con is that typically when meeting someone at a bar, alcohol is involved which introduces beer googles into the mix right off the bat. This can be an issue once you wake up the next morning and realize that Casanova is really a deadbeat, retired frat bro who's just looking to get laid.

The way I see it - Choose your bar scene dates wisely. Be smart. Follow your gut. Don't be a one night stand... Unless that's all you want, then you go for it and tell me your crazy story the next day. Oh, and don't date anyone from your regular bar. Once that shit goes sour, things could get awkward. (Obviously I imagine that to be the case. I don't know from experience or anything...)


Online Dating - 

This one's probably the most popular here amongst my girls lately. I guess in today's world this one isn't unheard of anymore but it's still one of the ones I have the least experience in... which could, quite possibly, be from my experience in the whole bar scene thing I talked about above.

The Pros - At the very least, there's a good chance you'll get free drinks and food out of the bastard. Also, you don't have to exert too much energy trying to find someone to go on a date with because you have a plethora of candidates available at your fingertips.

The Cons - It's been said that there are many of these sites out there that are flooded with sexually frustrated, single bachelors who are just trying to get their manbits fondled. This isn't necessarily a con for all people in the dating pool, but I assume if you're a female wandering into this field of dating you are probably looking for a little something deeper. (I think there's a that's what she said somewhere in that last part.)

The way I see it - Throw back a glass or three of Chard before your date, bring pepper spray, keep your standards high, get your free meal, get your free buzz, and wish for the best.


The Gym Scene -

If your name is Yoga Pants Whitney this one will most likely never relate to you, pretty much because you don't frequent the gym and when you do your face looks like a freshly watered tomato. Really though, I've heard that the gym is a pretty promising place to meet someone from the opposite sex.

The Pros - Working out gives you endorphins, endorphins make people happy, happy people don't just go around killing their husband. Kidding, kind of. Really though, there's a good chance your perspective date has a bangin bod and is conscience about looking and feeling good.

The Cons - You might be sucking down a protein shake instead of a whiskey ginger so prep your liver for the letdown accordingly. Also, there's a good chance your prospect could be way more into himself than he is into you. AKA there's a good chance he's a meat head and we all know how dangerous those are.

The way I see it - Meeting someone at the gym could be pretty good for your motivation. Much like meeting someone at your regular bar, this could get slightly fuzzy if things went sour which is pretty complicated seeing as it's already a pain in the ass to get your ass to the gym in the first place. Trade in your whiskey for protein, it's time to get your date on.


Kickin' It Old School -

You know, the one who's always been there but it's just never worked? So, you go ahead and you, once again, test out the waters. Maybe your intentions aren't long term, maybe they are, but you know you're in good company and you know you'll have a great time without any awkward pauses or moments of embarrassment.

The Pros - Aside from the comfort, there's a sense of excitement that comes from the thought of finally figuring it all out and seeing the pieces fall into place. You know everything about each other and you know what the other likes. This is a pro in many aspects of kickin' it old school, if you catch my drift.

The Cons - There's always the question "why didn't it ever work before" that you'll have to get passed before you can move forward. There's also the chance that the two of you will always just be stuck in between that place of single and together, which could get confusing for at least one of you.

The way I see it - Unless you want to look back and say "what if" ten years from now when you run into each other at your twentieth high school reunion, you've got to jump. Go for it. What do you have to lose? You've known each other forever and you know how to get over the other person already. Most of all, you know there's a glimpse of a chance that this time might just be the time.



Now, obviously there are many other places to meet people but, like I said, these just seem to be the popular ones amongst my friends and peers lately.


Be sure to visit me at @TheBlogBaton today while I Instagram my way through the day.

Peace out, Girl Scout.