I’m a fan of online dating. I did it for many years before I met my husband – and had some great experiences (and like all good daters a lot of questionable ones). But because I’m also a former speed dating host, I’m pragmatic – I liked skipping all the emails back and forth and cutting straight to the chase. I liked the idea of getting all those online matches in a room to let me see if there was a spark with anyone. But that was something online dating couldn’t give me. Well, you all are in luck.
It seems the lines between online dating and real life searching are getting a little blurred – and that’s a good thing. Match.com has debuted Stir, a classy new way to meet all those matches in one fell swoop (without the painful forced conversations of a speed dating round). It’s more a more organic way to meet people – especially ones who live near you and that you might miss online.
And the part I really like is that they are getting creative with their events. There are some standard bar events like happy hours, but Stir is all about mixing it up, too -they’re offering cooking classes, tequila tastings, dance lessons, rock climbing, and bowling lessons, to name a few. So, if there’s something you’ve been dying to do but haven’t had a chance…
“Wait a second,” you may say to me, raising an eyebrow. “What kind of people would I meet? I mean, I’m 24, and I don’t want to meet a bunch of 60-year-olds!”
No worries. Each Stir event is customized through group matching algorithms in terms of age, gender and interests so that singles will be attending events with like singles. So don’t worry, you can keep your filters in place. Also, thousands of singles are attending events each week, so don’t worry about the numbers. There’s plenty of choice. Match.com is bridging the gap between the online and offline worlds, creating even more ways to meet singles.
“How much does it cost?” you ask skeptically.
The Happy Hour events are free and open to both registered and subscribed Match.com members, while the interest-based events are only offered to Match.com subscribers for a fee. They’ve already started hosting events monthly, and by September they expect to host over 200 events per month nationwide. You can sign up on the Match.com website under the “Events” header.
So now you don’t have to feel confined to online dating, because as they say in my home state of Texas, “there’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Or something like that. Now you can search through your matches, attend events, and meet even more people. Nothing wrong with that.
*This is a sponsored post.
About Kelly Seal
Kelly is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, CA. She blogs about dating, relationships, personal growth and what "healthy living" means to her. You can follow her on Google+, Twitter @kellyseal or through her website www.kellyseal.com.
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