You’ve done it. You finally got your license and you started at your new job. You also just asked out the girl who sits next to you in your creative writing class. You have the money and the car, but you have no idea where you should go. You might not have thought that far ahead, or maybe you were expecting to get rejected. Yet now you are going to have to think of somewhere to go. You got her number, but you don’t want to text her without at least having an idea of where you could go. So what do you do?
Going on dates can be stressful. You want to find out more about the person you’re going with, but you also don’t want to run out of things to talk about. How do you find something interesting that will give you room to talk, but still give you something to fall back on?
The easiest way to get over this obstacle is to take them somewhere with a lot of people. Most people would think going on a date to a classy restaurant would be enjoyable because you would be alone and find out more about who you’re with. The problem with this is there is nothing to distract them if you get nervous and clam up. To avoid this, choose places where you can talk about what you’re doing while also slipping in questions about them.
If you are going to take someone to get food there are some options that allow you to talk, but also give you room to focus on what’s happening around you. The hibachi section of Wild Chef, for example, is a good place to go because you get to eat and watch the chef prepare the food with style, but you can also talk to your date. That is important because you can hold a conversation while still having something to fall back on as a last resort.
Another fun place to go is Captain Sundae. You can have plenty of fun at the mini golf course right next door, but if you are just looking for someplace to get a cold treat, Peachwave and Orange Leaf are also great options. Activities like mini golf are great opportunities to help alleviate the pressure of talking to someone you’ve just asked out, and they give you and your partner a chance to put down your cell phones and communicate.
Another option is to go somewhere outside. This can either be walking downtown or somewhere with more of a natural setting. Downtown you can walk to the parks like Kollin Park or Centennial Park, and you can also go to The Holland Peanut Store or Kilwins to enjoy a treat downtown. If you want to go somewhere closer to nature, Stu Visser’s Trail is a fun nature walk that allows a quiet place to enjoy a talk along with unique scenery. You can also use this as an opportunity to make great use out of Michigan’s beautiful lakes. This can be done by going to the beaches like Tunnel Park and the Holland State Park, because this allows you to be active and enjoy time in the water, or just relax in the sun and talk. Places like this can be fun for first dates, because you can learn a lot about a person by how they react in nature or outside. For instance they could be a vampire and hate the sun. It’s better to find these things out sooner. Most people aren’t going to burst into flames after coming into contact with direct sunlight, but if they prefer to go out later it might be better to do something inside, due to the decrease in temperature and the fact that most places close later in the day.
Some things that can be done later in the evening include going to sporting events or going to the movies. Although these take a bit away from any conversations that might be had, it allows people to have a good time and share their common interests.
People who haven’t been on dates might find it hard to plan a fun date, or be worried about where to go in Holland. Having advice and knowing some ideas beforehand will hopefully relieve some stress, and help people plan accordingly to have a good time. This is important, because it will help you when planning future dates, and also keep things new and interesting.
