Why Having A Go-To Date Spot Is Keeping You Single
I literally used to live in a Dos Caminos.
Well, not literally. My three-bedroom apartment is actually quite warm and cozy. I'm talking about my dating routine.
Each and every time I found myself vibing with a cute Tinder match, I'd take the initiative to set things up and in no time at all, we would be flirting over a healthy dose of guac and margaritas.
Sounds like a solid date, right?
Well, it most certainly was, until I started to doing it all the goddamn time.
After one successful date at the perfect Mexican chain (let's call a spade a spade), I decided I'd wine-and-dine all of my suitors there, "Groundhog Day"-style, and hope they'd all turn out exactly like first one.
I knew the best days to grab a table, and I knew where all the best tables were. Don't even think about looking at the menu because Papa knows best.
Want a margarita? Great. I knew how much they cost and how many you needed to get nice and wasted on a week day.
But little did I know I was pigeonholing my love life.
Over time, things started to become mundane and painfully repetitive. Even if I found my date to be charming, I couldn't help but feel bored.
By having a regular dating routine, my dating life started to feel routine. How was I going to find love that way, let alone get laid?! I needed a change.
By having a regular dating routine, my dating life started to feel routine.
So, in order to make sure my dating life (and yours) never gets boring again, I've made a list to remind me of all the reasons I should never step foot in Dos Caminos again. (Goodbye, sweet guac.)
Here are all the reasons you and I should never let ourselves have a go-to date spot:
You could start repeating old habits.
Old habits die hard, and you will die alone if you keep this up.
Even if the person you're sitting across from is Chris Evans (oh captain, my Captain America), your surroundings may trigger unpleasant memories of past events that have gone awry and then your date will be ruined.
Don't revert back to doing things that didn't pan out the first time around.
If you're in hot pursuit of something successful, your best bet is to have a clean slate and eliminate any traces of your dating past that may bring about bad vibes — including the spots you may have visited.
Becoming a "regular" is never fun.
You should find no pleasure in being that person who sits at the same table, orders the same thing and drinks the same drink.
Getting recognized by a waiter is relatively embarrassing, and if you're a frequent flyer, you don't want to get awkward side eye from the hostess when you stroll in week after week with a new person on your arm.
Sure, she will seat you, but she will also judge you. Hard.
You'll never step outside your comfort zone.
Relying on a routine will ultimately prevent you from breaking out of that structured mold you've so comfortably built.
Even if you're not the most outgoing or adventurous, your dating life will suffer if you continue to revert to the same old things and rely on the same old tricks.
Let your life get a little crazy by doing something unexpected.
You'll never have an excuse to try new things.
You need to put yourself in a situation that actually allows you to open up and show your date you're not as bland as the food from the cheap spot you just brought them to.
You need to show your date you're not as bland as the food from the cheap spot you just brought them to.
In 2016, dates, whether your first or third, can expand much further than dive bars and dimly lit restaurants. Experiencing something new for the first time, especially with someone you just met, could be an opportunity to bond and really connect on a romantic level.
If you really hit it off, that one outrageous date at a trapeze school could be a very, very interesting story to tell your grandchildren.
But you certainly won't unless you spice it up!
So get out of your goddamn routine and NEVER GO TO DOS CAMINOS AGAIN. DO YOU HEAR ME, SEAN????
Wait, what? I'm Sean. OK, I'm gonna go before this gets even more weird.
