You’ve found that significant other and you two are planning to hang out next Saturday. You can’t stop thinking about how much fun you are going to have, how much you like each other, and how comfortable you are together. You two are not the typical high school couple — it’s deeper than that.
Anticipating your day together, you text your significant other: “What would you like to do this Saturday?” A few minutes later, you pick up your phone and read the answer: “Idk. Movies or something?” Movies. You can already feel your relationship plummeting, and it hasn’t even begun.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the occasional movie date. It’s nice to be able to sit next someone you like, steal their candy, and enjoy a horribly bad movie together. You have probably seen over hundreds of movies in your lifetime, so why waste your first date on something like that? We’re not in middle school anymore. Let’s actually spend more than two minutes planning our dates.
Step 1: Save the money, spend the time.
Bel Air consists mainly of restaurants. However, even at a Chili’s, you can get stuck paying over twenty dollars for a meal for two. As a lover of food, all the restaurants in Bel Air just make choosing a place to eat even more difficult. So, why not go to them all? Food Network first gave me the idea of “appetizer-hopping.” Go to various restaurants and order one appetizer from each place you visit. That way, you can both get what you want, taste all different types of food, and not pay as much as you would if you stayed in one place and ordered two full meals. Or if you two have a sweet tooth, why not go dessert hopping?
Another alternative to dinner could be a quick trip to the grocery store. Cook or bake something together. As cliché as it sounds, if at least one of you knows how to boil water, it could be fun.
Step 2: Celebrate the season!
Fall: Visit an apple orchard or corn maze during the day. If you’re up for a late-night date, you can’t go wrong with a trip to a haunted hay ride.
Winter: Enjoy the cold weather by sledding or skiing together. If you’re missing summer, have a picnic inside.
Spring: If you are into sports, go to a baseball game. If you feel like digging through peoples’ treasures for the day, going to a flea market would be a nice change. Although it may sound excruciatingly boring at first, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA (less than an hour away from Bel Air), only costs $6 for a day venturing through over 1,000 acres of 20 indoor and 20 outdoor gardens. In addition, Longwood has ponds full of lily pads so large you could sit on them, different types of flytraps you can watch getting fed, and various mazes.
Step 3: Enjoy a free walk.
This is the best way to get to know each other and offers little room for distraction if you want to have some good conversations. The Ma and Pa trail is close and although not as scenic, has an easy to walk trail. If you’d like to venture to Street, the Rocks have a trail leading to the King and Queens seat where you can enjoy a nice view. Gunpowder State Park has over 100 trails to pick from and nearly 18,000 acres of park. If it’s after school and you don’t feel like walking far, there is a small trail behind Rockfield.
Step 4: Find some common interests. Then, find a place to experience them.
Do you both…
Love animals? Take a trip to the zoo or aquarium. If you don’t feel like driving far, the ducks are very hungry at the duck pond next to JC (of course, be aware that there is a sign asking you not to feed them). Or take a trip to your nearest pet store. Pick out your favorite animal and pretend you’re buying it so that an employee will take it out for you to hold (you can also find out if your significant other is really as brave as they look by choosing a naked rat), or just browse the weird-looking fish.
Enjoy being immature? Playgrounds aren’t just for kids and there are tons around Harford County. Even if you just want to go after school, Rockfield Playground next to JC has the best spinny red thing, providing hours of fun.
Like sticking to your daily routines? Do something in your daily routine together, like running errands for your parents or even going to the gym. Being with your significant other will make these ordinary events feel like something special.
Step 5: Be original!
Try to spend time coming up with some ideas of your own that fit your and your date’s personalities. I promise, it will be worth your time to think outside the box.
Alex Bahr can be reached for comment at [email protected]