Let's face it. If your dates have resorted to dinner and a movie, you've essentially given up on your relationship. Don't forget that the whole point of this dreadful thing called dating is to get to know someone. There's only so much you can learn about your girl in yet another restaurant with random shit on the walls and an infant-infested Loews. So here's the deal: every girl wants a guy that can think up new date ideas on his own, but we're more realistic than that. We know you're not going to. So we'll give them to you.Jill: Everyone loves food...who doesn't? A girl's gotta eat. Movies are cool too, but usually are reserved for when a baller-ass movie comes out, probably starring Leonardo DiCaprio or anything Phillip Seymour Hoffman touches. But otherwise, we're happy to Red Box-it and spend our time out doing something else.
Men - Get rustic on our asses. We like walks. We like nature. I'm talking picnics at the lake. Pack the tackle boxes, boys! Unfortunately you're going to be spending the afternoon baiting our hooks and "teaching" us how to fish before we get utterly disgusted and give up. That or you will be emasculated by the enormous amount of fish we catch. (Also see below)
Ladies - Take the initiative to research something new and cool neither of you have done before. Try the weekend section of your local paper, or search Yelp, Citysearch for ideas if they don't come naturally. Personally, my heart goes beat-beat for a microbrewery or a weird museum. If a man took me to an underground show and served me $2 PBRS and I'd purr like a kitten. The key is, think about what you like to do, and if it's something he's never tried, hopefully your man is open to something new. The same is true in reverse: If it's something he'd like to do (say, I don't know, going to a hockey game or a roller derby match), take him up on the offer! I also like to consider something sort of middle ground (antique car show, forest preserve, festival) so that we both enjoy ourselves in a new situation. (Also don't feel guilty if you don't have much money. Only the best thrills are cheap, and we're secretly just happy to be spending time with our special guy) Once in a while, if we are feeling lazy, we can just do dinner and a movie. But first let's check out that improv night in the city, eh?
Erica: When I was in college, my number one go-to pick up line (which I rarely had to use) was to say that I've never been taken on a real date. Boys jumped on that. I got to go to the nicest restaurants and theaters St. Louis had to offer. But it was always the same. I'll-just-have-the-house-salad dinner and a pass-the-popcorn-pop-and-snow caps movie with a cute guy. First date kiss optional.
I like a memorable date. A cooking class, a vineyard, or a 2:00 AM private acoustic performance on the beach. Free outdoor festivals when the weather's good, mini-golf, go-carts, planetariums, aquariums... anything that's different. My husband Dan took me to the top of a Native American burial ground once. I wanted to go somewhere beautiful and I happen to love Native American history. He didn't plan the romantic sunset, but who knows? Maybe that's why we're married now. I'm a sucker for art galleries, too. Not to discuss "the composition and balance of light" of Matisse, but to silently try not to laugh at all the nudity. Like Jill said, it's always nice try something new together. It makes us automatically vulnerable. And I have to say - always plan for the best case scenario! If things go really well and you want to keep the night going with me, make sure you have some sort of idea of where we can go and what else we can do.And of course the best way to end a date, is asking for another date. Happy dating!
