There's a certain thrill mixed with deep-rooted anxiety that suffocates anyone about to slip on their shoes and walk out the door for a first date.
Whether you've gone on more first dates than you'd like to admit or you just muster up the courage to go on one or two every few months, it's a nerve-racking experience.
Some people will try to look you in the face and say first dates aren't a big deal -- that they are easy, a little bit of fun and a quick adventure. I call those people liars. First dates are filled with awkward silences, slow motion grabbing of the bill left on the dinner table at the end of the night and dodging a goodbye kiss from someone who is still practically a stranger.
That's why I consider anyone who is a serial first dater worthy of some kind of prize. If you're wondering what it's like to go on six first dates a week or 65 dates in six months, here are six women who confess what it's like to be the ultimate serial daters.
1. I eat for free.
I go on at least four first dates a week. My rule is that they have to be dinner dates. This is my rule for a few reasons. The first is that it saves me from having to buy dinner for myself -- hello, saving money. The second is that I don't drink and I hate coffee, so dinner is the only logical choice. I've been on this four date a week regimen for the past two months. I've met a lot of guys but none I'd ever want to see again. I'm a pro at breaking things off or just ghosting.
-- Cynthia G., 24
2. I'm exhausted.
I go on 15 first dates a month. It's seriously so much fun but also exhausting. I work full-time and I'm starting my own side business. Going on these dates is really like my only social break. I don't have many friends who live near me because I recently moved to San Diego. These dates are my only way to get out, see the city and meet new people. But sometimes I feel like it's too much. I once went on four first dates in one day. I came home and slept for 14 hours.
-- Heidi L., 25
3. The conversation gets stale.
I'm constantly asking the guy if I already told him that after I say a story or a fact about myself. I sound completely aloof. The truth is I just go on so many first dates. I probably went on 10 this past week. Every guy blends together in my mind. I give them nicknames in my phone based on the most interesting thing they said. Sometimes they don't say anything interesting so I delete their number and never respond when they follow up after the date is over.
-- Sam S., 24
4. I kiss a lot of frogs.
I kissed five guys this month. After going on no more than three dates with the same guy, I realized I didn't like any of them but I definitely kissed all of them. I usually can find out my true feelings for a guy after the kiss, so I make it a point to always kiss on the first date. My process is kiss and ditch. I'm looking for one of those kisses to be so magical that it's the last first kiss I ever have.
-- Lindy F., 28
5. I feel like I've dated the whole city.
Seriously I feel like I've dated every single guy in Austin. I walk around town and I'm like yep, I dated him and him and him. Not dated, dated. But I've been on a first date with probably every single guy here. Whenever I download a new dating app, I always hope I'll swipe some new guys, but most of them are guys I've already met once for coffee, a beer or a quick bite.
-- Kayla M., 32
6. I'm losing all hope.
My married friends think my life is a combo of "Sex and the City" and "27 Dresses." But to be honest, just because I go on a ton of a first dates, doesn't mean my life is a rom-com. It's more like a horror story. I've been on 65 first dates so far in 2016. That's a lot, I know. Don't judge too hard. I'm just trying to find my special person and catch up to my friends, who are having kid number two.
-- Beth D., 30
