‘When travelling the path of life and finding love along the way, everything looks new and different.’ – Oscar Wilde.
September has rolled around and there’s no denying it – love is once again in the air. For some unknown reason, the combination of crisp, clean mornings, followed by sun-filled afternoons turns every city into something that is more reminiscent of Paris. Couples ambling hand-in-hand, picnics in the park and evening strolls along star-lit streets.
So what about those of us who aren’t ambling, picnicking or strolling? Those of us who are attending wedding after wedding, seeing happy couples tying the knot and declaring their undying love? What about us? The searchers, the seekers… the starting to date?
Well, the result is in – Spring is for us too – and it’s a great time to start a new love.
Spring is exactly that, a spring-board for meeting new people at a time when they can’t help but be aware of the frenzied love happening all around them. So how can you ensure your Spring-time dating is as successful as possible?
- Take advantage of the season. It’s important you know that you aren’t the only one attending weddings and wishing it were you standing hand-in-hand with the person you’ll spend the rest of your life with. Plenty of other people – single, suitable people – are doing exactly the same, you just have to be prepared to take advantage of the situation. Don’t waste time, use the season to take some initiative, meet someone new and potentially kick off something exciting!
- Break the ice. Spring provides an opportunity that other seasons don’t – the weather is perfect, not too cold, not too hot. Instead of booking drinks or dinner and feeling the heavy responsibility of entertaining and conversation creating, take your date outside. Enjoy the warm weather and do an activity that promotes laughs, action and the potential to touch – in a non-sleazy way. Put on your roller-skates and enjoy the nostalgia, or try a picnic at the outdoor movies.
- Make an effort. Regardless of the season, first impressions count. While it’s important you don’t overdress for the situation, your date will feel more special if it’s obvious you’ve put in some effort to prepare for your time together. Remember, how you’re presented reflects on your date, so showing him or her you want to look good for them, and with them, is also a sign of respect.
- Make yourself available. Determining compatibility becomes easier the more you learn about each other, stimulate each other and find things in common. Shakespeare wrote, ‘Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind’, so talk, ask questions and be prepared to lay your answers on the line so you can both weigh up your chemistry and common interests and goals.
- Leave your baggage at home. If you’ve made the decision to date, make sure you’re ready – and that means leaving the past in the past as far as new relationships go. When you head out on your first date with a new guy or girl, be interested and interesting. Don’t talk about ex’s, heartbreak and potential future obstacles resulting from past endeavours.
- Be honest – with your date and yourself. Spring is a great time to date – this time of year promotes our natural romantic sides as well as our more amorous inner-selves. But if it’s not happening, it’s not happening. Oprah Winfrey put it best when she said, ‘Don’t settle for a relationship that won’t let you be yourself’. If you’ve met, you’ve dated and it’s just not doing anything for you, admit it to yourself and your date (tactfully), so you can take advantage of the remainder of the season and try meeting someone new.
- Don’t become obsessed. Finally, whether the dating is going well or not so well, it’s important to remember that you have a life outside of who you’re dating, or the one that got away. Don’t spend every waking moment waiting for the next text, typing out a million saucy emails each day, or planning your wedding and kid’s names. Obsession is a clear sign of desperation, and desperation is something that doesn’t look good on anyone! Instead, enjoy the fun, the flirting, and let the future plan itself.