Searching Worldwide: Online Dating At Its Most Exciting
- Monday, April 12 2010 @ 11:08 am
- Contributed by: Jet
- Views: 2,549
While I would like to believe that there are compatible people lurking around every corner, living down the street, just waiting to be discovered – I am forced to admit that occasionally, there's not. If you live in a small town, with a demographic skewed generations too high or low, it is entirely possible that you've met every potential match – especially if you've lived in said small town your entire life.
If you fit this scenario – or if you just feel like you, too, have met every local possibility – now is not the time to become defeatist. Using an online dating site presents a unique opportunity; you can widen your search to the entire country, or the entire world, if you like. Cross-country or international matches are no longer as rare as they used to be; I've even heard couples teasingly try to outdo each other (“You flew how many miles? Check this out!”).
If you've decided you're ready to “go big,” here are a few tips to consider:
First, check that the site you choose isn't one that's only popular in your city or region. A larger site might draw potential matches more evenly across the country. If you're interested in finding an international partner, make sure you use a site accessible to other countries.
If distance is no object, now might be the time to try out niche dating sites. Maybe you thought you'd never find another person who liked to collect Tinker-Toys... but trust me, there's probably a site geared specifically for Tinker-Toy collectors. If finding that match with that specific interest is a must, you could even try non-dating site options, like Tinker-Toy forums. If you're interested in dating a New Yorker, try looking for sites geared for people from New York.
Don't forget to keep checking your local options – you never know who might move in or sign up while you're looking elsewhere. Don't over-extend yourself with too many sites, though; a few sites or custom searches (one local, one worldwide) should suffice.
Remember that should a long-distance friendship become something more, one or both of you may have to move. Are you prepared to make that commitment? There's no harm in searching just for fun, or just to see what happens... but be aware that there's always the possibility that real life changes may occur. Then again, that's true for all relationships to some degree, isn't it? Happy hunting!
If you fit this scenario – or if you just feel like you, too, have met every local possibility – now is not the time to become defeatist. Using an online dating site presents a unique opportunity; you can widen your search to the entire country, or the entire world, if you like. Cross-country or international matches are no longer as rare as they used to be; I've even heard couples teasingly try to outdo each other (“You flew how many miles? Check this out!”).
If you've decided you're ready to “go big,” here are a few tips to consider:
First, check that the site you choose isn't one that's only popular in your city or region. A larger site might draw potential matches more evenly across the country. If you're interested in finding an international partner, make sure you use a site accessible to other countries.
If distance is no object, now might be the time to try out niche dating sites. Maybe you thought you'd never find another person who liked to collect Tinker-Toys... but trust me, there's probably a site geared specifically for Tinker-Toy collectors. If finding that match with that specific interest is a must, you could even try non-dating site options, like Tinker-Toy forums. If you're interested in dating a New Yorker, try looking for sites geared for people from New York.
Don't forget to keep checking your local options – you never know who might move in or sign up while you're looking elsewhere. Don't over-extend yourself with too many sites, though; a few sites or custom searches (one local, one worldwide) should suffice.
Remember that should a long-distance friendship become something more, one or both of you may have to move. Are you prepared to make that commitment? There's no harm in searching just for fun, or just to see what happens... but be aware that there's always the possibility that real life changes may occur. Then again, that's true for all relationships to some degree, isn't it? Happy hunting!
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