Well hello there. This is it. The beginning, but of what I hear you ask? My name is Hass, I’m from London, England and I live in Toronto, Canada. Just like you, I have a bunch of interests and hobbies. Let’s go through a few right now shall we? I like being well put together, I ❤ coffee and I try to pursue an active lifestyle.
I tend to talk a lot about the things I’m into and with so much passion that on several occasions, my friends have asked to join me on that trip to the museum to see a certain exhibition or to that cafe I always rave on about. A colleague of mine at work convinced me that I should share these interests with the world; a glimpse of my life.
That along with the fact that I’m a Brit in a foreign land makes for a lot of interesting stories! The things I’ve seen, perspectives, the people I’ve met and a few strange/funny encounters are all things to come. I’ll share my insight, experiences and let you into my world by way of this blog.
Dating is hard. I could stop there, but that wouldn’t make for a good blog post would it? Let me go on. In this day and age, one doesn’t usually meet people through conventional methods any more; in the street, in a restaurant, via an acquaintance or maybe at the gym. It happens but it’s rare. Instead, it becomes a second job – finish grinding during the day and during your commute home, while glaring at your phone half awake, you’re welcomed by a dozen likes across three or four apps. This is great… I’m getting likes; you think to yourself.
The problem now is, you have to filter through said likes, spending time and doing justice to the person’s profile and forming a decision and opinion about them. You’re nervous, perhaps slightly intimidated; she does yoga? She cooks, volunteers and works for a well known company too? There may be interests that overlap and others that don’t. A genre of books you’ve never read and music you’ve never heard. Take it easy, my friend. *Breathe in through your nose… now out through your mouth*. Better? Good. Now muster up the courage and like back, or swipe, or whatever it is the cool kids are doing these days.
I used to worry at this moment of the dating game. We both like each other’s profiles but now what? What do I say? How do I start saying it and how do I stop myself from waffling? It’s easy. Say hey and move on to starting with a compliment about something that interested you while reading their profile. Keep it short and simple. Don’t be desperate or worry they haven’t replied after 2mins. You’ve done your bit – carry on about your day, mate.
When the reply does eventually make it’s way to your screen, rejoice. Now comes the fun part. They probably replied back about the particular point you mentioned. Show them your personality through engaging and well thought out sentences. Easier said than done, you say? Okay, let me show you how…
Be suave.. Be yourself. (Made up convo)
The initial conversations are usually centred around work, hobbies or maybe a pet, and can span the course of a couple of days. It’s after this point that I invite them to meet up for a coffee. The chances of getting a yes after this point is pretty high because you’ve spent a bit of time getting to know the person. Boom! There you go you Suave Fox – you’re one step closer to being with the person of your dreams.
When looking at somebody’s pictures, posts or biographies, it’s very easy to put them on a pedestal. Try to remember that the person on the other end of the app is a human being just like you. They too have goals, fears, desires and interests along with every other human emotion and need. Just be cool and treat this as a marathon not a race. When you do eventually meet them, you’ll be all the better for it.
Did you find this interesting or useful? Would you like to see a post about what to do when you actually meet in person? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment and please subscribe to the blog! 🙂
No, I’m not telling you to go away – in fact, I’m telling you to stick around and continue reading! 🙂
It’s somewhat of a retrospective period with the new year and all. We’re all excited about what this year will bring and how we can improve ourselves, our health and success. A few years ago, circa 2014, I was active and would run quite a lot. At the time I used live in a beautiful little town called Stratford in London, England; right by the Olympic Park. I was part of a running club doing 5km runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays along with 10km runs on Sundays. It was going really well but with the new year, I gave myself new targets and forced myself out of my comfort zone and onto a bike! Trust me when I say the traffic in London is intimidating in a car, let alone on a bike sewing through traffic or even cycling on the cycle super highway, which is littered with pedestrians all the time.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, England
I had no proper cycling gear, no clip in pedals, no fancy cycling jersey, no bib shorts; just a helmet (which is essential, people!). There I was taking my bike out of my flat, out the main building entrance and to the pavement on the side of the road. I was fortunate that I had the cycle lane right in front of my building which led all the way to Central London and to work. Heart pounding, I hopped on and that was it. I probably looked like a noob to those seasoned, lycra adorned pros but I didn’t care. I had the wind blowing against me, and felt liberated! Eventually I ended up looking forward to my commute everyday. I slowly bought the right gear, learning how to clip in and out with cleats and pedals, and over time got even fitter and leaner. I truly felt like I belonged!
Cycling was great for me. Not only did I see myself physically change in some ways, but (more importantly for me) I found that cycling was my new outlet. I work as a Software Engineer and just like everyone else, work can be stressful at times! Cycling was my time to exercise, have fun but most of all think and organise my thoughts. It was helping me feel less stressed about life overall because all of a sudden I had uninterrupted me time.
I ended up adding cycling to my exercise regimen. I steadily learned how to pace myself, increase the amount of miles I could cover (eventually hitting 100miles in one ride) and how to fuel properly – all topics I will cover in other posts incase you were wondering! I was happier, healthier, more focused and ended up making tonnes of friends through joining a local cycling club and races – specifically duathlons.
If you’re thinking about getting fit, trying something new or ways to help with lowering stress, consider cycling! Trust me when I say you don’t have to spend tonnes of money on a bike – find something used, a starter road bike and get out there! Please consider subscribing to the blog for more posts like this and don’t forget your helmets!
SuaveFox 