Brexit, Bumble and Bootycalls...

It's no secret that London is a big city and can be quite unfriendly at times. The best way I can describe it is a constant uphill climb, every five days you reach a ledge where you can take a breath and enjoy the view before carrying on up. How anyone has the time to date in this city is baffling and yet I see it everywhere. As you make your way home from work you see pub gardens overflowing, because if nothing else, Londoners know how to week day drink. Amongst the suits you'll see the same scene time and time again. Two people sit opposite each other in a quiet corner, one shifts slightly awkwardly in their seat whilst the other nurses their drink, both taking a breather from talking about themselves, both wondering if the other person is having a good time, or both debating how much more of their short evening they have to sacrifice before admitting it's a bad fit and getting the bill.

London is weird that way, almost like Uni the pressure to date is off unless you want a relationship. If all you're looking for is a bit of fun you don't have to schmooze a person first. It's a liberal city. If you want to get laid you have so many ways to achieve it. The classic pulling on a night out is fool proof unless your chat up lines are awful (Brexit is not an ice breaker – you know who you are). This generation also has the lazier option of dating apps with the likes of Tinder and Bumble, Grindr if you swing that way, or occasionally Happn if you're aiming a little higher. Casual sex is easily accessible so the idea of dating shows intent, this person isn't writing off the idea of a relationship.

I'd never really dated in Uni, partly because I had no desire to and partly because it wasn't really fitting with the Uni culture (unless you counted illegally streaming a movie and ordering a domino's deal to your halls bedroom a date). So getting asked on my first London date was literally the weirdest thing ever: 'Wait...let me get this straight, you want to buy me alcohol? and like talk and stuff? are you sure?'

My parents are just counting down the days till I find a nice man to take home for them to meet, and I can tell you now they'll be waiting a while longer. Soz Mum. I may be slightly unlucky in love, but at least I'm having fun trying. When you are part of a close knit group of girls like mine, the subject of dating dominates the group chat, which in itself is motivation enough to keep it up. Everyone knows group chats are always brutal, but just get five girls in their twenties onto the subject of guys and dating and you could easily write a script for the next Bridesmaids. I mean Sex and the City is basically Disney compared to what my gals get up to. (Sorry Ladies – but keep it up yeah?).

So Mum, it might be a good decade or so before you get any Grandkids, but don't people always say your twenties are the time to find yourself, and if you find someone else in the meantime, y'know who's kind of cool or whatever, that's just a bonus. No pressure.

More to follow!

#dating #london #brexit #bumble #tinder #twenties