Bedsider

5 Tips for Dating While on Vacation

When you’re single and travel as much as I do, dating while away does not seem like a choice, but a necessity. When I’m in NYC (home)—between work, family, and friends—it’s hard to give 100% to getting to know someone new. But when I’m away, “getting to know” everything about where I’m visiting is exactly the point. But there are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way for making this work.

1. Smile: Don’t walk around with a grimace on you face and expect a stranger to be open to talking to you. You have to be inviting, and the simplest way to do that is just to smile. Of course you have to also be okay with getting approached on the beach, in a museum, or on the National Mall (if you’re in D.C.)—but as long as the pick-up line is on point, why not?

2. Try new things: Lets say you meet someone new or reconnect with a cute acquaintance who offers to show you a good time—please go into it with an open mind. Don’t go somewhere new just to eat and do the same things you would back home. For example, anyone that knows me knows I like Hip Hop, Reggae, and Calypso clubs. But when I was in Oakland, I was invited to the re-opening of a beloved House music party called “Brothers and Sisters.” I went and I had an AMAZING time!

3. Have fun, but don’t throw caution to the wind: So I know I just said to be open-minded, but that doesn’t necessarily mean going home with a stranger after getting drunk at a bar. Be safe and follow your intuition. I was once in a city where the train stopped after a certain time, and if I continued partying where I was, I would have had to either stay with the guy I was with or take a bus that even the locals avoided. My gut told me to catch that last train—and so I did.

4. Know the location of the nearest pharmacy: In case a date goes really… well. Being away is no excuse to get reckless with your birth control or your health. So during the day keep an eye out for the local spot to pick up condoms (male or female) and—if you think meeting someone you want to get to know better could be in the forecast—pick some up to have on hand. You might even want to pick up some emergency contraception (EC), or at least know how you can get some, in case a condom breaks and you’re not looking for a long distance baby-daddy.

5. Keep it real: Remember that a date is just that—a date! You should be in it for a good time—try not to stress about the future, the past, or any agenda. Remember, you are away from your real life and hopefully you can use that fact to let loose and have a great time. So be prepared for the possibility that you may not see the guy or girl from [fill in destination] again. But you’ll always have the memories!

What do you think? Are these tips you can see yourself using? Do you have any of your own to share?

Also remember where you go can influence your dating experience while you’re away. That is definitely true when visiting Sierra Leone. See what dating while on vacation there is like: