Saturday, 23 January 2016.
Day 34
Dear Diary,
I’ve just had a nice jog and morning coffee. It feels good!
Swiping for over two weeks now. 150+ matches. Lots and lots and lots of simultaneous chats, of which maybe 10% end up being really interesting (i.e. entertaining, deep and wise, funny or flirty – things like that), but…
I’ve only been on 5 dates and Tinder is telling me “There is no one else near you!”
Say, what??
That’s all there is?? Are all the other men in Finland taken???
What??!
Apparently, I’m all swiped out.
Haha. Maybe I’ve played Tinder to its last phase. Uh-oh.
Game over – oh, no!
On the positive side, I seem to have nice matches on my list. I feel there’s potential with some of the upcoming dates (I’ve booked a few… 🤓).
It’s surprisingly easy. Guys are eager to meet up face to face and happy to go out for a coffee. A few of them have even told me that it’s cool that I actually want to meet them in person, because there are many ladies who just want to chat. That’s so strange. 🤔
Ah, let me tell you.
There’s this one guy I matched with who seems so nice! Really. 😊 For one, his profile text is adorable. Check this out:
“Frederick (40)
Smart, loyal, romantic, dad, 5’10, enjoys travelling. Goes to the gym to keep fit. Enjoys the great outdoors. Enjoys eating out, especially curries. After friendship and hopefully more. I read other people’s profiles rather than just looking at the photos. If this appeals, then swipe right.”
How sweet is that?? 😻
I’m quite impressed, tbh. Then I realize he’s…
…1868 km away!!
And think to myself, that explains it – he’s not from Finland…
Hey, maybe that’s good news!
In Finland, most guys write nothing in their profile. I hate that! Laziness? Put in the effort, Finnish dudes!!
Privacy? Fear?
I’m not wasting any time:
Hi Frederick, you sound great!
Hi Anna, how is life? Are you in Finland? Fred x
Blah, blah, blah. Distance. Family. Board games. Jobs. Blah, blah. Pastimes. He is nice!!
Oh, I absolutely love the outdoors, too! I usually walk 5-15km a day, cycle around, jog a little. Enjoy picnics with bonfires in the snow, cottages in the middle of nowhere. Nothing could be better. I’m only half-Finnish, but I live in one of my favorite countries. Do you ever come to Finland?
I explored Scandinavia when I was younger. Would love to go again. I recall Finland is a beautiful country, with beautiful girls. 🙃
If you are half-Finnish, what’s your other half?
Now you guess my other half! I’ll just say it’s to the left of Europe. And that I speak five languages (four fluently)!
He guesses correctly.
My first guess. What a star! 🙂 You have a dark complexion. And Anna is a Spanish-type name…
I’m impressed by your language skills!
Blah, blah, blah. And then we discuss our divorce and letting bygones be bygones.
Yes. I saw it coming for many years. But I’m also loyal and romantic and just held on for life. For the family ideal, for the ideal of marriage. And hope…
But I wish him all the happiness, healing and success that life can bring. I want no bitterness for this new phase of my life!
Well, sounds like you believed in marriage.
Best way to be. Let the resentment go. My ex-wife and I were together for fifteen years, but I now have the chance to fall in love again, and the mad chemistry that love brings.
He looks handsome in three of his pics.
(1) Nice beard, jeans shirt, looking sideways – kind of in the diagonal – with a big smile.
(2) B&W. He’s drinking coffee, looking very intelligent.
(3) He’s cute and youthful, wearing a cap in a close up. With a cool expression, there’s warmth and joy in his eyes.
(On the other hand, I h-a-t-e-d the pic where he’s dressed like a teenager: boots, cargo pants and a hoodie. Sunglasses and a cap. NOOO!! That’s how my pupils dress).
I see you sometimes like to dress as a rapper. Caps, hoodies. Is it always?
Oh, the hoodie pic was just to show you all what my body looks like. I do generally dress my age, though I wish to be young.
Well, nobody’s perfect. Hmm. I wonder how he likes my pics. Maybe he’d have a few improvements to suggest, as well, huh?
We’ve been chatting daily. He seems super 👍. Tech manager, two kids, lives in England, loves board games ➡️ one of my favorite hobbies!! Besides, (and I’ve told him)…
I love guys who speak with the British accent. Gives me goosebumps. 😅
(You can blame Hugh Grant for that – 😍😍😍)!
Oh…! I wish Fred – and Hugh – lived in Helsinki!!!
He seems genuinely interested in making friends, which I find very honorable, so we want to keep in touch.
As for coffee dates, I’ve had to be careful not to over-book or double-book. 😅 Especially because I’ve decided to just go out when Kristiina and Joey are with their dad.
When they are here, I want to focus on them.
Of course!
Oh, how I miss those two! They’re coming back to my place Sunday evening: happy!!
© 2017 rf
Obs. All names have been changed, and chat messages were published with the match’s kind permission.
Obs. Day 32 since moving out. I wonder what now?
The Chronicles of a Happy Divorcée 