Preparing for that first date

Well, you have met someone online and communicated with them for a bit. Now, comes that time for which you have been preparing. Your first date with this “unseen” person. Do not spend too much time being excited about this event. Instead, start getting ready for this date so that you can make the best of the time that you spend together.

Where do you start and what should you plan? Well, that is up to you but we have provided a few ideas which might help to send you in the right direction.

Do not set the date too far away. Do not wait too long to go out on this date. You have been anticipating this for awhile so you want to get this scheduled very soon. If you don't, you will spend too much time thinking about it and that can eat away at your patience and make you even more nervous than you already are.

Make this an informal night out. For the first date you will probably want to make it something comfortable and casual. A movie, however, is not a great idea since the two of you are going to want to talk and find things out about each other. A movie cuts down on the time available to do that. Choose a nice informal setting where the two of you can be very comfortable.

Start with lunch, perhaps. Maybe you want to make the first date during the daylight hours. If this is the case, then you may want to consider meeting for lunch at a nice quiet little restaurant where you can easily talk. Make it a restaurant that has a varied menu since you may not know what type of food your date prefers. Something with a wide menu will probably offer something that he or she likes.

Pay attention to the person, not where you're going. As you make plans, be more concerned about the person with whom you are going out. Do not get bogged down in plans and thinking about where you are going. If you do this, you will lose sight of the fact that your main concern is your date.

Think about your appearance. You need not get all dressed up for this date. We mentioned earlier that this should be informal but comfortable. Choose a place to go that does not require you to dress up. Sure you should look nice. But you can look presentable and nice without having to put on a tux or even a suit.

Be humble in your conversation. Be careful with your conversation. Do not spend the time bragging about yourself or your family. This is a “get acquainted” date, so you do not want to put the other person off by putting yourself on a pedestal. Think mainly of your date and put yourself in the number 2 position.

You want to make this first date a fun time. But you also want to make it a date that will make the two of you want to see each other again. So, plan carefully and never lose sight of the purpose of this first date.