Every once in a while, I find my boyfriend and I repeating the same date. It’s like “Groundhog Day:” go to dinner, see a movie and snuggle. Not bad for a night, but not for every single time we go out.
When these date ruts hit a relationship, things become dry and boring. At some point, I hit a state of desperation and Googled “date ideas,” only to come up with things that sounded either impossible or childish.
One “best dates” list suggested driving to the airport, picking a flight to somewhere you’ve never heard of and staying the weekend there. That would be impossible on a college student’s budget, not to mention frivolous.
Another website recommended we go to a Disney movie and dress up as our favorite characters. I could see that being a possibility for two female best friends, but I find it hard to believe a guy would agree to that.
I have been thinking back to my favorite dates with my boyfriend in an effort to create a list of legitimately good date ideas.
One Sunday morning, my boyfriend and I sat in my dorm debating what to do with the rest of the day. Eventually, he looked at me and said, “Let’s go on an adventure.” We ended up driving to Durham to eat at Bullock’s Barbeque, explored Duke’s campus and drove around just for the hell of it.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and I would recommend the same to you: Go on an adventure. Take a GPS, but only use it on the way back. You don’t have to drive three hours to the beach to see the sunset. Simply leaving Raleigh, or even just the N.C . State area, will be refreshing.
Another favorite date of mine happened similarly, my boyfriend and I were trying to decide what to do. We recalled when we first met, we went stargazing together. I suggested we reenact the event.
Unfortunately, it was winter, so we ended up fighting over the world’s smallest blanket on a dock at Lake Raleigh. However, the best part came afterwards when we found a trail off the side of the road and used the DVD player in my boyfriend’s car to watch a movie.
Reenact a memorable date, but don’t be strict about it. Let what happens happen and recapture the way you felt then.
One of our more recent dates I enjoyed was when my boyfriend took me hiking. I kept mentioning how much I enjoyed it, so he surprised me by planning a day trip. We went to Umstead Park, enjoyed some exercise, and even carved our initials in a tree.
Pay attention to what your significant other likes. Surprise them by going somewhere that they love, but the two of you haven’t been together.
Probably one of my all time favorite dates did occur somewhere stereotypical: the beach. My boyfriend came with my family this summer on a vacation to the coast. One night, we went down to the beach with a blanket and looked at the stars. The best part was that we talked for about three hours straight.
Just go somewhere and talk: the park, the wolf ears, Talley Student Center, your dorm room. The location doesn’t matter. Getting to know your significant other will be so much more meaningful than going to the movies.
I would just like to add one more recommendation. Almost every single one of my favorite dates has been impromptu. I’m not saying to just sit around and wait for something exciting to happen.
Suggest something new and then go do it immediately. Forget the boring dinner and a movie nights. Go on an adventure.