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Dating App Experiment
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The Dating App Experiment

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The Dating App Experiment

As a single staff member of one of the Events & Adventures clubhouses, I decided to do a bit of an experiment with myself. Like a lot of people, I’m a dating app user; as a person dating in the 21st century it often feels like there aren’t many other options. As a simultaneous member of Events & Adventures, I started to compare and contrast my experiences with my online relationships and the ones I was seeing develop at Events & Adventures.

I’ve been on the classic apps like Tinder and Bumble and have tried some of the more obscure apps like Hinge and Coffee Meets Bagel. They each have different layouts and specialties that make them seem like lights at the end of a tunnel filled with fellow singles. In the end, each app seems to turn out to have a similar end: possible dates and little connection.

 

The Findings

Dating apps turned the very real and emotional experience of dating into a very numb and robotic game. I’ve found myself mindlessly swiping through people without even looking at them. The sensation of matching with someone seems to create more of an endorphin boost than an actual opportunity for a true connection.

I’ll never forget when I matched with a guy and mentioned meeting up for dinner with him pretty quickly, trying to bypass the small talk and make something out of a match that seemed promising. He agreed, we set a time and location. The next morning, he was gone. He deleted our match and seeing as that was the only form of contact I had with him, there was no way of getting in touch to see what happened.

The experience stung, but a part of me accepted it because we hadn’t even met. How could I hold this guy accountable when he was only a picture on a screen?

I’ve gone on my fair share of actual dates through these apps too. I’ve even been in short-term relationships with some of the men I’ve meet. The large majority of the time the connection I thought I had with these guys online didn’t come through in person. If we did actually have something in common, there seemed to be a pressure to put a definition on whatever we had right away, which ended up scaring one of us away. When you make dating the primary focus of any activity, there’s an expectation of trust and vulnerability almost instantly. How can you put that kind of pressure on someone you barely know?

Having heard friends express similar frustrations, I know I’m not alone in my dating app woes. I even hear us wondering aloud if there is something wrong with us because of our lack of success.

 

The Solution

Having experienced Events & Adventures for the last six months, I honestly believe it’s not us but the online dating system that’s to blame. Unlike the forced nature of online dating, Events & Adventures creates an organic environment for members to have fun being themselves.

Are you filled with random facts or a board game connoisseur? You can guarantee there’s a trivia or game night coming up with Events & Adventures. More of a sports fan? Every club has at least one viewing party or pickup game on the books. Are you a whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, or adrenaline junkie—or do you want to be? Events & Adventures has you covered there, too.

And the best part? Other people are doing all of these things with you. You’ll be able to build connections with people that have similar interests and have the opportunity to see these same people on a weekly, or even daily basis, without having to plan the get togethers yourself.

All of the romantic relationships I’ve seen develop between Events & Adventures members have come out of the weeks and months they have spent together at Events & Adventures events. When people have the chance to develop friendships, those friendships turn into trust, and that trust can very easily blossom into something more substantial like commitment and love.

Our members have the chance to cultivate relationships with each other without having to worry about defining their experiences, romantic or otherwise, because that’s not what Events & Adventures is about. Our goal is to help people live a life they love, and that definition is different for everyone.

As a self-proclaimed wallflower, I’ve really had the chance to soak up all of the wonderful benefits Events & Adventures provides its members. In a world so fueled by instant gratification, Events & Adventures slows things down and gives its members the change to enjoy their lives with friends, new and old. So why keep staring at a dating app filled with what-ifs and maybes and come have some promised fun with Events and Adventures? You never know where it might lead until you give it a try!

Las Vegas 2015 event with Events & Adventures
Travel Events

E & A Singles Take Over Vegas!

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Las Vegas 2015

Las Vegas 2015

Wow! 85 singles on our Long Weekend VIP Trip to Vegas. What a blast! We had VIP bottle service in the cabanas. We had a special reserved section with unlimited bar in an awesome club and we even had VIP bottle service at the Night Swim at XS (the #1 night club in the world) where we had  a balcony cabana that overlooked the pool and 5000 people partying to a nationally known DJ. It was so cool to make friends from the different E&A cities.  We traded numbers and plan on keeping in touch for future trips and to visit each other’s city. Everything ran so smooth. We were whisked into the VIP entrances so we didn’t have to wait to enter anywhere.  The team at I Love Vegas Enterprises worked great with the E&A members and staff to make sure we were all taken care of.  Can’t wait for the High Roller trip this fall!

Halloween on the London Party Bus with our Phoenix Singles!

November 8, 2014
Halloween Bus Party with Events & Adventures

Singles Halloween Party Bus     Here at Events and Adventures we like to do it right and do it good!!  Halloween in Phoenix consisted of all sorts of the right things and just some good ole fun!!  We started our evening by boarding on to two double decker Bus’s decked out in some sexy, some scary, some cute and some super creative and crazy costumed members and headed out to have a go at some of the Halloween festivities!! New friends were made, old friends had some great laughs and all of us enjoyed a great night out!

We ended our night in Old Town Scottsdale and all 83 of us made quite an impression!!  It was a night to remember, and will be hard to beat next Halloween!!

Events and Adventures Dallas Singles Poker Crawl!

October 29, 2014
Singles Poker Crawl with Events & Adventures Dallas
FW Sundance Square Poker Crawl3

Events and Adventures Dallas Poker Crawl

A poker run on a motorcycle has 5 stops where everyone gets a card to make a poker hand. A pub crawl is on foot and hits several bars. Mix them together with a group of singles and you get an Events and Adventures poker crawl! We don’t have as many people with motorcycles as with feet, so we hit Sundance Square on Saturday night. We were ready to play a game of poker and check out some of the local pubs. We started with appetizers and our first card. You really have no idea how things are going to until the third card. Then you know if you are in it or just there for the pub crawl the rest of the night. We hit some really cool places. Really nice and even a dive bar. How many people can you fit in an elevator? By our 5th stop everyone was impatient to get their card to see if they could make a hand or draw. Whew! So we all know most people cheat and trade cards right? Hmmm . .Who has the worst hand? The best hand? High card draw wins! Congrats Tanya, your very first event and you won!   FW Sundance Square Poker Crawl4

Minneapolis Singles Tackling the High Ropes Course

October 14, 2014
Tackling the Ropes Course with Events & Adventures Minneapolis

Testing our wits is something we get to do almost every day, whether it’s being a new member of Events and Adventures and going to our first event or tackling a high ropes course, which is what we did this past weekend!  Climbing ropes, walking across a single rope as we balance and focus on the platform ahead, rope ladders and swings HIGH above the ground… and as we ziplined off our last platform, we were relieved that we had finished and proud of what we accomplished!  Plus, we could finally “look down” without freaking out a bit!  Always an adventure with this group of singles!

 

Our Adventure in Australia!

September 30, 2014
Events and Adventures Singles traveling to Australia

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Australia. Wow. Definitely a bucket list item for most of us. And Sydney does not disappoint. Directly after our early morning arrival we were whisked away to drop our bags at our hotel (THANK YOU  early check in!) changed our clothes and headed out for a great, enlightening tour of ‘The Rocks’ the original area of town built by English criminal that had be sentenced to their new penal colony. It was so interesting! You can still see chisel marks, foundations and even a few original buildings. Since they are sandstone and not wood they are still in use! After that we jumped on a lunch cruise around Sydney Harbor. It seemed odd to have the day we arrived jam packed but by 7pm I totally understood. Stop moving and you crash from the overnight flight and time change. We were gifted with a lovely spring day where the outside deck was warmish. Dinner on the harbor was a perfect end to our very long day. Day 2 started with early morning breakfast and the group scattering a bit to different adventures. Eastern Seaside Walk and Blue Mountains tour were the top choices. The coast is spectacular. The ocean breathtaking around each point. I’ve walked how far? No wonder my legs a sore!

We got to feed Kangaroos and pet Koalas! Betcha didn’t know kangaroos like ice cream cones – just the cone part! The animal park fills it with grass and we got to feed them. Koalas are adorable, but rather boring since they sleep 20 hours a day and pretty much eat the rest of the time. Hiking in the Blue Mountains are spectacular. Some went the day before and raved about it so others went today.  It looks like the Grand Canyon with rainforest covering it. Waterfalls galore, great hiking and inspiring views. Our super adventurous members walked up the Sydney Harbor Bridge and watched the sunset from the top! The Sydney Opera House at night is a sight to behold. It’s majestic. It’s even better when you are sitting on a rooftop patio bar on a mild spring night.

Holy Great Barrier Reef! We just saw one small corner of it and it really is amazing. Wally is a snorkeler/divers favorite. They trained this massive fish to visit the tourists, be petted and ‘pose’ for photos.  Even inexperienced divers could dive with a dive master and experience this once in a lifetime event. I loved it. Nothing else like it. Our dive master let us touch corals and items that had interesting texture (and we wouldn’t harm by touching it.) She pointed out interesting fish and the colors of both were astonishing. It is really disappointing that the colors are never as vibrant in photos. The option for an underwater camera was totally worth it.  After a couple dives some of us decided to try the Adventure Snorkel with the Marine Biologist. We went on the outside the reef where you get to see even more astounding schools of fish but you are a human bobber rising and falling with the ocean waves. The fish were freakishly cool until motion sickness overtook all thought.  Gimme some Dramamine and I’d try it again in a second. Got back aboard our boat, headed to shore and we all longed for bed. Oh! Downtown Cairns is hopping at sunset as we arrive. Tired? Who’s tired? We need dinner and to check out town. We can sleep on the flight home. . .

The Australian Rainforest is definitely a sight to behold. It’s breathtaking. The rich forest, massive trees and dizzying number of different greens is a jaw dropper. Our second full throttle day in Cairns took us up the hills into the outback. We had a scenic rail trip up where we all got to Oooo and Aaaah together; we split up in Kuranda to see everything from an Aboriginal Cultural Center, to koala & kangaroos to museums and shopping; then jumped on the sky gondolas for our trip back down. I got to hold a koala! The scenery here can’t be beat. It was fun to have a group to share the experience with. No one got tired of you saying, “Oh! Look at that!” because you could say it to so many different people 🙂  We had a couple stops on the gondolas so we fire drilled the carriages. Tomorrow we are off to Melbourne!


 

Events and Adventures Dallas Tackles Lil Ninjas Obstacle Course!

September 20, 2014
obstacle course

We checked out Lil Ninjas obstacle course and dodgeball Saturday night. This place was technically built for kids, but it was a blast! Some of the more advanced elements of this obstacle course were hard- and impossible for many!  We were the guinea pigs for glow in the dark dodgeball. Those balls never seem to stay glowing so they are changing it to black light. We wore glow necklaces and laughed about the walls attacking us when we were certain weren’t anywhere near them. A few of us made it across the unstable ladder. I was surprised I was the first! Gotta be smarter than the ropes. J The curved wall was a dream for most but a few made it up there! Since it was just us and not open to kids we were allowed us to bring beverages of intellect which made everything even funnier.  Those that didn’t want to play just came and cheered and jeered those that accepted the challenge. It was a great change from the weekend bar scene. Don’t get me wrong, I love the dancing and parties we have but it was something new, unusual and totally fun!

E&A Takes To The Skies…Skydiving With Our Seattle Club!

September 15, 2014
Events and Adventures Seattle Singles Skydiving

Events and Adventures takes to the skies! On the bucket list of so many is jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. SKYDIVING! It’s also one of the things that can be so hard to get yourself to do. Sometimes it takes gathering yourself up, getting in a group of friends and just saying “what the heck..I’m doing it” If you have never done it, it can be hard to believe just how hard it can be to step into a plane and take off knowing that the only way down now is out the door at 10,000 feet or more. You almost have to tell yourself to NOT listen to the voice in your head that is getting louder and louder saying “ WHAT ARE YOU DOING” and just think of something else … like a shopping list or what’s in your Amazon wish list or anything to keep your mind off the idea that you are soon going to be free falling out of a plane. Then once you DO actually get out of the plane it’s so amazing, and you want to get back in the plane and do it again.

Just another day at the office with Events and Adventures Vancouver….Kayaking!

September 11, 2014
vancouver singles kayaking

Just another day at the office with Events and Adventures at a truly amazing kayaking event at a little lake in the middle of Vancouver.  Despite major traffic and transit delays somehow every single member always has a great attitude and can’t wait to kayak to the middle of the lake and sit and chat for an hour.  Of course we have little races and get some exercise but it is really about the chats and companionship no matter how hard the day was.  We laugh and joke and then go out for some more at a nearby pub. It was a beautiful day and a splendid way to end it..with all of our E&A friends. 

 

 

Flips, Jumps and Dives into the Cool Water here in Houston!

August 13, 2014
Houston Singles Party Barge

 

Houston Singles Party Barge

What a week…Unless you’ve been stuck in the vegetable room at Costco you know it’s hot outside here in Houston. When it’s this hot out we here at Events and Adventures love to get wet!  After a week of amazing events that included skeet shooting & a huge softball/kickball cookout; the party barge Sunday was a welcome escape from the flames.  Flips, jumps and dives into the cool water were a fun escape from the upper deck where the wild ones were gathered.  We’ve got an August loaded with fun events topped off by the big Labor Day Adventure at the end of the month.  August is an awesome month to join Events & Adventures, with so many fun events to look forward to.