All I want for 2024 is my own meet cute

It is the beginning of a new year so naturally, those out in the wild (or on the dating scene), are reflecting on their past 12 months of dates. Or, as some might like to call it, their 2023 dating adventures wrapped. How many times were you ghosted or were you the ghoster last year? How many suitors did you meet on dating apps, in real life or on set-ups? What was the winning date location of the year? Did coffee dates take top spot or did the pub pip dinner to the post?

Looking back and reviewing your yearly dating statistics is a humbling exercise. Being able to laugh at yourself and fully embrace the absolute chaos that dates can be is a superpower we shouldn’t downplay. First dates in particular can be brutal and wildly unpredictable. You could be about to meet a narcissist or your soulmate or anything in between. Nothing can really brace you for a first date (other than some tequila).

Now let me remind you, I went on 28 blind dates in 28 days in February 2023. Some might say I peaked too early. I set the bar numerically pretty high near the top of the year. But for me, February was a dating voyage like no other. It may have given me a head start in terms of number of first-date stats for the year, but the lessons I learned about myself, about fellow singletons and the ability to connect with people mattered far more than the figures I racked up.

What followed was a well-deserved dating hiatus for a couple of months. As the summer season approached, I ventured back out in the wild and stacked up some fun stats to add to February’s antics.