This is the “You may think I’m crazy for suggesting this, but…” great date idea! I love adventure…well, let me rephrase that…I love adventure where there is little risk of bodily harm. I don’t mind a few sore muscles, but I’m still not going to jump out of a plane even though I wish I had that level of adventure in me. That being said, I love when a friend gets me to shake up my daily routine and participate in a new class, activity or road trip.
Some of you may think the following activities I’m going to suggest for a “first” date are crazy. You may say, “well, that would be fun with a friend, but this is a DATE”.
The word “date” always has that romantic connotation. There is so much pressure and my advice is to remove that “romantic” pressure. You are just meeting this person for the first time…the first date shouldn’t be “romantic”…you haven’t fallen in love with each other yet. My mission is to give you ideas to shake it up so you have a fun outing with an activity to provoke new topics of conversation and create a new memory. My guess is that you have already exchanged a few emails via the site and covered where you live, what kind of work you do, activities you like, what your goals and aspirations are, etc. You don’t need to rehash all that at your favorite coffee place. Engage in an activity first so when you grab that cup of coffee afterwards there is more to talk about.
So…call me crazy, but here it goes:
Participate in a Drum Circle
Lately every outdoor event I go to I am seeing “drum circles” with people of all ages sitting around in a big circle and having the best time ever! I’ve seen this before, but never realized it was becoming so mainstream. It’s also very therapeutic and used in music therapy. What better way to relax the nerves on that big first date.
According to Wikipedia, In Western countries, drum circles have developed into two main types:
Community – free-form drumming, often open to the public and entirely improvised in-the-moment.
Facilitated or Conducted – group drumming that is musically directed by a specific person, often called a facilitator.
All forms of drum circles are used in a variety of settings and applications including; team building, recreational music making, wellness, education, celebrations, spirituality, personal growth, etc.
So, how do you find a drum circle? Well, if you type “Drum Circle, Your City” in your search engine, I guarantee you a number of websites offering classes will come up as well as a multitude of MeetUp groups. However, I think a class situation might be the way to go first time out of the gate.
As an example of what to expect, here are some links to classes I found:
https://www.universaldrumming.com/details.html (Los Angeles area)
https://drumcircleslasvegas.com/ (Las Vegas)
https://www.drummingcircle.com/ (Chicago)
Take an American Red Cross Training Course
This has been on my list of things to do for awhile. Most of the CPR courses are only 2-5 hours. This could be such a cool thing. It’s Lent…turn the date into a “Let’s do a good deed for Lent Date”…learn a life saving skill that could help you pay it forward down the road. Are you both pet lovers? Did you know there is an American Red Cross Pet First Aid Course? This will be a first date you will never forget!
Check out https://www.redcross.org/take-a-class to find the perfect class for your next big date.
Volunteer
Once again, Lent is a perfect time to suggest a date that involves giving back to the community. There are so many wonderful organizations out there and they need volunteers even if only for one event. Whether it is a food shelter looking for extra hands, an event such as the Special Olympics or your city’s annual marathon, there are opportunities for every skill level or talent you may possess. Make a day of it…give back and then go out for a bite to eat or coffee. Think of your new CatholicSingles.com connection as your new friend and say that you were thinking of volunteering for an event in the next couple of weeks and see if he/she would like to join you.
Volunteer Match is a fantastic website. You can search by city, interest or organization. They will let you know if there is a one day event that needs extra people, etc. This is a top resource for finding an opportunity in a city near you.
https://www.volunteermatch.org
Once again, I wish you all the best on those big first dates. It’s not easy, but it can be. The more activity you incorporate, the better chance you will have to be your authentic self and calm the nerves. Take the time to find out what there is to love about the other person and those beautiful romantic dinners will be waiting in the wings!
