So, I’m just going to go out and say it: dating apps are weird. I know, this is now a fact of life. So I’ve experimented with Tinder in multiple places I’ve lived and the experience is always slightly different. It’s interesting to see who you come across. A lot of the time you come across the dreaded “u up?” and “wanna come over?” Basically, you can be asked anything that warrants and eye roll. So this time I decided to try Bumble.
For those of you who haven’t heard of Bumble before, it’s the same format as Tinder with the swipe left for no, swipe right for yes. However, when you match, the girls have to start the conversation and you have 24 hours to start a conversation or else you can kiss that hottie goodbye! It’s been more interesting than Tinder to say the least.
I’m terrible at starting conversations. Small talk or the “getting to know you” phase sucks if you don’t know how to go through it. Sometimes I wish I could just imagine myself spending the day with whoever I’m talking to; kind of like that one Black Mirror episode where they have a certain amount of time to test the relationship out. Unfortunately, this is reality’s next best thing.
I first tried it out in New York City, where I’m from, and it was great. There were so many *attractive* guys that I could swipe on. I found myself matching with a lot of them, which was an insane boost to my ego. The conversations were nice. I found that because they were open to the girls texting first, I got less of “u up?” and more of “how’s your day going?” It felt like the closest thing I could get to some kind of human connection. I thought I would stick with it and see what I could do in little ol’ Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Using it here has been a pretty tame experience, but also pretty disappointing. There aren’t many options here and the guys aren’t as close as I would like them to be. As someone who can’t drive yet, that’s a bit of a pain for me. I’m navigating it pretty well, the guys here seem to be pretty nice and talkative. Let’s see how I feel as time goes on. Who knows, maybe I’ll find The One.