“I’m pretty sure this counts as a first date, right?” I’m gently stippling concealer under my eyes, brush in my right hand, heavy pour of cabernet sauvigon in my left. It feels silly, but the effort I’m putting into sitting in front of a computer screen is unexpected. But this was dating at the top of the 2020 COVID19 Pandemic. We were on lock down, but my swiping finger was not.

March 15, 2020 — I’m driving back to Richmond from Maryland, still glowing from an amazing girls’ weekend celebrating one of my best sister-friend’s 30th birthday. Not only was I on the heels of transitioning from unemployed to fully employed, I was also in expectancy of 2020 being OUR year! My friend group had BIG plans for weddings, babies, and majority of our 30th birthdays — so much to get excited [and save money] for! I had no clue that when I stepped foot in my apartment, I wouldn’t leave because the whispered conspiracy of a virus named after a beer would become an international trauma starter.

So what to do? We are stuck in the house, I’m single and learning to work from home (WFH) in a newly minted leadership position, with little company outside of Tiger King, podcasts of all genres, and my dog (RIP Prince Charming). Well, I reactivated my online dating profiles. In my mind, we were all in the house and had nothing to do but talk to one another, right? And I’m sure I’m not the only one looking to start a dating roster, Issa D style. Logging into this [unsponsored] dating app, I created what I viewed as my perfect profile. Equipped with witty personality, warm smiles, and flirtatious poses to catch the eye and intellect of my Mr. Right Now.

Now, historically, I’d create a profile, talk to a few gentlemen until they either fizzled out due to lack of interest or ghosted messages, then deactivate for another quarter or entire season. Yes, I’ve been ghosted. So I wasn’t expecting to ACTUALLY have dates proposed during a pandemic! But these men were CREATIVE. I mean, if it wasn’t a phone call or FaceTime (because catfish isn’t just a southern delicacy), they’d inquire my CashApp to pay for a dinner date or even set up movies on Netflix Party. How was it I was being pursued better on lockdown than when the world was open?! Yes, sis. It was fun but also interesting … the therapist in me analyzed each move.

We had no other options. And the safety of our own homes disarmed most dates. There wasn’t immense pressure to “show up” a certain way, the screen protected us from clumsy or embarrassing moments, and we could easily “block” if the date didn’t go as planned. And I LOVED it! I could FaceTime with “John” while we both WFH, text “Joe” in between meetings, and have a virtual movie date with “Jake” later that night! Your girl was in the best dating season of my entire life — what I didn’t expect was a friendly guy with genuine conversation to be the last man standing 3 months into my dating season.

Part 2 Coming Soon …

Vibe Tunes ATM:

Curious x VanJess | My World x Asiahn