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| "Black Love 2" by Manasseh Art |
Remember in high school the guy you had been crushing on for a while finally noticed you and asked you out? You agreed on a movie to see, he paid for your ticket and popcorn and you sat for two hours quiet and then grabbed a burger and shake afterward before rushing home before curfew. Well that was cute then but we’re grown now. Dinner and a movie is fine every now and again after you’ve been dating for a while or are a couple/married but in the beginning stages of dating, I encourage people to get more creative.
I love learning about different things and cultures, trying new things and foods and experiencing cool things. So why shouldn’t that spill into my dating life? After all, don’t you want to be with a person that enhances your life and inspires you to be open to experiencing cool things? I know I do! The thing men and women alike get hung up on is the price. Men sometimes lament “dating is so expensive” and feel pressure to spend gobs of money, especially on the first couple dates to impress a woman or because they feel it’s expected of them. Some women secretly calculate how much the man spent on the date and think that that will tell them if he’s a great catch or not. Blah, blah, blah. While you shouldn’t be cheap, if you’re creative, dates don’t have to break the bank and will still be memorable. Rather you have money coming out your ears or only two pennies to rub together, it’s really about the quality of the date. At the end of the day, what stays with you the most is if you had a good time or not.
So I dare you to get more adventurous in your date planning and open yourself to new things, you just might enjoy yourself or grow from it. Keep reading for three date ideas I think will enable you to get to know your date while experiencing cool things that don’t require your firstborn child as a deposit:
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Picnic in the Park or Beach: You can each bring some goodies, blankets or towels to sit on, your ipod and portable speakers, games and/or playing cards and a frisby too if you’re gangsta like that. If your picnic is on the beach, you both can hop in the water for some added fun.
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| American Museum of Natural History, NYC {Source} |
Visit a museum or art gallery: One of my most memorable dates was with a guy a few years back when we went to the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens. We learned a ton about cameras, tv and film. I learned that lace front wigs had been around since the 1930’s and ‘40s and many actresses wore them. We did go to eat afterward though. LOL. You can save money by going to museums or galleries on days when it’s free admission. This is a great way for you both to expose yourselves to some great cultural things and spark up interesting conversation. You don’t have to be artsy fartsy to go or appreciate it, just open to experiencing something different or outside of your usual realm.
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| Yummy samosas from South African restaurant, Madiba in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn |
Skip the movie and try a new restaurant for lunch or dinner: Get some recommendations from friends (foodie friends give the best recs), colleagues or family for a good restaurant that you nor your date have been to. If you’re feeling adventurous try recommendations for different culture foods neither of you have tried before. Turkish food is amazing. If you’re a meat lover, you will all but die for Brazilian food and Filipino food is delish if you enjoy Asian dining. You both get to expand your palettes and if the conversation is flowing good and you still don’t want the date to end after the check's been paid, you can go for a little walk afterward to help burn some of those calories.
I hope these ideas inspire you to think outside of the "norm" and add more spice to your life and your dating life. Dating should be fun and adventurous and expose you to new and interesting things. It should never be a monotonous, predictable chore. And contrary to the belief, they don’t even have to cost that much. It’s all about the quality and if it was fun. Rather you marry the guy or not, at least you’ll have some fun experiences to look back on.
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