45 First Date Ideas That Aren’t Boring! – Women’s Health Mag

Has anyone perfected the art of the first date? Just wondering, because it sure as heck ends up more awkward than not. Raise your (virtual) hand if you’ve been on a dinner date searching for anything—anything—to talk about because you’ve already breezed through your planned points of conversation. Big same.

“A lot of people suggest just going out for dinner and a drink, although I don’t think that’s really that effective,” says Marisa T. Cohen, PhD, relationship scientist and coach. “If you’re in a noisy, crowded place, you’re not going to be able to have these deep conversations that allow you to suss out whether or not you like this person.”

Instead, Cohen recommends planning a date where you can show off your amazing personality. That might be lending your know-how during a pottery workshop, or showing off your navigation skills during a bike ride.

After all, the point is to stick out in the pool of potential suitors, right? Just like you might be queuing all up the Hinge hotties, the person on the other side is doing the same. “You want to do something that’s not the same cookie cutter experience that everyone else is having over a meal,” Cohen says.

Since the anxiety that comes with planning a memorable date is very real, here’s a prepared a list of not-so-boring first date ideas to get the fling off to an exciting start—even if it ends there. And as the saying goes, “It’s either a great experience or a great story.” Let’s go date: READ MORE

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