My cousin knows some people in the city we live in that set up a dating meet-and-greet event that likely will have close to 100 people in attendance, and she got me a ticket to it.
As for myself, I’ve never been to one, nor have I ever been on a date period (and am 29, if it matters). I just don’t know how to approach this whole thing, how to introduce myself to women, what to talk about, how to not come off as awkward, what to NOT talk about, etc. In fact, I’m considering not even going but don’t want to make them feel like they wasted money on getting me a ticket.
Comments
As nerve-wracking as it seems, the key is to be yourself. You are looking for someone compatible (as others are), and you don’t want to offer them something that you are not. That would lead to disappointment later.
Prepare to respond to the basics: Who are you? What do you do for work? What do you do for fun? You’ll probably answer these a lot during the event.
Just a tip: I would save the never-been-on-a-date info for another time. It could be a red flag for people who know nothing about you.
Dress up in your best look, go, and have fun with it. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum, and be yourself.
Definitely go, both to be polite to your cousin and to try something new. Go online and watch some “meeting people for dummies” type videos. Just a few. Pick 3 things that make sense to you and are doable. Write them down. Also use videos to help you pick 3 opening questions to ask people you meet. Write them down. Study these until they’re very ingrained. Finally, 3 pieces of advice: 1) Approach the event as a chance to make new acquaintances, nothing romantic. That will take a lot of pressure off. 2) Start off by BRIEFLY expressing how nervous/awkward/out of your comfort zone you are. Naming it is taming it! And 3) Listen more than you talk. You will be happy you gave it a try I predict!
just think of it as an opportunity to practice your social skills and have a fun time meeting new people. It’s unlikely that you’ll get a date out of it, but not impossible. You can just talk about the same stuff you talk about with guys, just maybe experiment with being slightly flirty if it feels right, whatever that means to you.