Driving Two Hours to Date a Stranger

Emma Thom, Sweet Briar College, Class of 2018

I fell in love with the small classroom environment of Sweet Briar College and the picturesque scenery of its surroundings in the middle of nowhere, Virginia. But as a heterosexual female at an all-women’s college, my dating life was nonexistent until I was introduced to Tinder and Bumble. Initially I hated the concept of dating apps. The upside to them was blind dates (yikes) and the downside was the opportunity to get rejected in three seconds or less by a potential match.

But as I began to create my dating profiles, choosing the most attractive pictures of me and my golden retriever, I started to have some fun. I hadn’t yet warmed up to the idea of driving an hour or two to grab a drink with a stranger, but the conversations were light and the attention was wonderful. After hundreds of swipes left and right — and plenty of opening lines that received no response — I finally matched with a guy I was eager to meet.

He was a Virginia Tech student who seemed intelligent, witty and happened to be 6-foot-4 — tall enough for my highest heels. Conveniently, my best friend is also a student at Tech, so when I told her about this new guy, she immediately responded with “Come to Blacksburg! You can meet up with him, and if he sucks, stay with me.” So I drove two hours to meet a guy I’d only been messaging for a week and a half. I’d never heard the sound of his voice, or seen the way he walked or chewed his food. What would he think about my smile or the awkward snorting sound I make when I laugh too hard?

I pulled into the parking lot of the Thai restaurant hoping that I didn’t have pit stains and flaking mascara. When I saw him waiting for me, I almost did a double take — not because he didn’t look like the guy in the pictures, but because he looked better. He was tall, blond, with green eyes and a smile wider and more welcoming than I’d imagined. We had dinner and drinks, and several months later, we’re still doing the same. Dating apps aren’t for everyone, but they gave me the opportunity to meet someone I wasn’t sure existed.

I Found My First Date on an App

Caleb Keyes, Otterbein University, Class of 2018

In high school I had always wanted to date but struggled to believe anyone would want to date me. When I got to college those fears were compounded by a feeling of trepidation that if I tried to date someone and we broke up, it would be hard to see them around campus. A friend encouraged me to download Coffee Meets Bagel, which was described as a dating app for people who are easily overwhelmed.