Going Out On a Date: Indoor or Outdoor?
Indoor dates or outdoor dates?
Which is your pick?
Well, personally, it depends on the person I’m going with on this date.
First off, let me introduce myself. I am Ada, first of her siblings. The first daughter of the Wogu clan. Addictive bread eater and ambivert.
Now that we’ve met, let’s talk about this.
So, after the long waits and probably longer calls, you’ve decided to meet your love interest. Everything is in place, except the place itself. Cue loud laughter. Deciding where to have your date is a tricky mess. Sometimes, you want some things with some particular people and sometimes, you can’t bring yourself to stand some things with some other people.
I get you. I’ve been there before. More times than I care to count. I know you’re curious as to what my experiences have been like and I’ll share. I love telling stories and this is a very juicy story of mine but while I tell you my story, wouldn’t it be nice if you learnt something along the way?
Great idea, right?
Okay! Let’s start.
First and foremost, what is an indoor date and an outdoor date. An indoor date is a kind of date that has been designed to be carried out within the interior of a building while an outdoor date would connote a date that has been designed to be carried out in the open air. Quite simple, isn’t it?
Now that we know what an indoor date is and what an outdoor date, let’s move on to their examples.
Going Out on a Date: Indoor Dates
The whole point of a date in the first place is not just to spend time with a particular love interest but to share experiences for memories sake. It is these memories that accumulate and become one of the pillars of the relationship.
In getting to know each other, couples have to collectively devise plans and strategies to spend more time with each other and if you want to do it under a roof, here are some ideas;
Watch Movies
This is the classic 101 for any date especially if you’re an African like me. The cinema is the go-to place. It’s the first point of call if you want to go on a date with someone. Reasons being that it provides an atmosphere for you to be together and also share some memories together.
The last movie date I had was with Michael. He’s the keyboardist in our local church. A typical church boy through and through, Michael was extremely shy. I had always had an idea of what he felt for me. Maybe I was just being narcissistic but I always noticed the way he flocked around me. Always wanting to do whatever I asked and making sure I was always comfortable.
It must have taken the boldness of a lion for him to finally ask him out. Although, I have a strict no-dating-church-boys rule, I made an exception for him and agreed to go on this date with him. Apart from being sweet and attentive, one endearing trait Michael possessed was his honesty. He told me point blank that he didn’t have enough money to treat me to an evening of fine dining and therefore, he opted we see a movie instead.
The movie was a romantic comedy, hence it was a laughing festival. We laughed and laughed and after the movie, on our way home, we told our own jokes. I found out that he preferred romantic comedies to action-packed movies. He absolutely detested horror movies and could not stand the sight of blood both on television and in reality.
As sweet as he was, that ship never sailed. Michael wanted marriage and I was just 17.
Stay Indoors
This is another indoor date idea. A very cheap idea. This is by far the date with the highest rankings in Africa. However, be warned. This date is more convenient and advisable for people who are already in a relationship and have a mutual understanding of their beliefs and convictions. This date involves going to either the guy’s house or the girl’s house. Usually, this kind of date involves cooking or maybe ordering some food. It’s usually a lazy date, so all both partners do is try as much as possible to relax.
Note: This is not a great first date idea. This is because it takes a level of intimacy and chemistry to be invited to a person’s house. Also, not discarding the fact that some THINGS might and could happen when things get heated up.
I didn’t know that when I agreed to have a first date with a hot guy, Daniel in his house. It was unlike anything I had ever done before. Daniel is a certified hot guy. Cool body, cool ride and surprisingly cool grades. He was and still remains every girl’s guy. So when he talked to me in class, I felt special in a strange way. He got my number and we started talking.
I discovered that he could also hold a conversation and not with cliches. What more could I ask for? So when he asked that we go on a date, I was elated. I have been single for so long and even though I wasn’t sure I was ready for a new relationship, I just loved the attention. At first, he said we would go on a dinner in a very nice (and expensive) restaurants in the center of the town. I loved the idea and I was all for it.
I was all dressed that evening and ready to step out when he called me to inform me that the place was full. Apparently, he had called ahead to make a reservation but they were fully booked for friday evenings. I guess that’s when everybody came out to play. He apologized profusely. He asked if I could come to his place instead and he promised to make dinner. I don’t know when my loneliness pushed me into saying yes but I did.
I headed out and all the while, a knot was forming in my stomach. By the time I got to his self-contained apartment, the knot had already tightened and was threatening to spoil my evening. As a Nigerian child, you are taught not to go visiting a man in his house unless he is your husband or fiance at least. I was breaking all the rules and even though my mother was miles away, I was certain she would know and give me a resounding slap.
While I was certain Daniel was going to rape me, I tried as much as possible to keep my hysteria away from my face. Contrary to what I had expected, Daniel was actually a perfect gentleman and a marvellous cook. He made Jollof rice and peppered chicken that tasted way better than it looked. While he cooked, we talked about anything and everything. He made me follow him everywhere because he didn’t want to lose sight of me. It was very sweet actually. After the dinner, we moved to the couch and tried to relax. He managed to stay a few feet from me and this made me comfortable. Then the power came on. He asked if I would prefer to listen to music or watch a movie and I chose music. That was a silly mistake on my part because little did I know that when Daniel said music, he didn’t mean Zlatan Ibile’s latest hits, he meant old love songs and some 1800 blues.
The combination of the food and music made me heady and I didn’t know when we started kissing. We kissed deeply like we were drowning and we were each other’s source of air. I came back to my senses when I felt his hands riding up my trumpet skirt. It was then I realised what it was that I was doing and I sprang up like I was burnt by his touch. He apologised for going too far but I couldn’t fault him. We had both set ourselves up for such an occurrence.
Daniel was a good guy but all that was ruined because we couldn’t get our first date right.
Dinner
While this is not entirely popular in my home country, it looks great on television. Apart from looking great on television, it’s also a great dinner idea.
With dinner dates, there is a lot of etiquette to be observed. This is because a dinner date is strictly (well, not entirely) a formal affair. Henceforth, you have to dress up a certain way, eat a certain way and talk a certain way. I totally forgot how expensive it could be too.
One edge you have with dinner dates is the eye contact. How do you know a person is being real with you when you cannot even see their eyes? Eyes tell a lot and being able to read the sincerity or uncertainty in a person’s eyes can provide the needed background for the start of something beautiful. You also get to share a lot of information with each other since that’s all you can do in a dinner date. TALK.
I just realised that I am a 23 year-old young woman and I’ve never been on a dinner date. Wow!
Going Out on a Date: Outdoor Dates
There’s a different feeling that being outside with your partner brings. The feelings are different when you’re both out, enjoying nature together. There are a lot of outdoor activities that could suffice as a date.
Go on Picnics
A picnic, as we all know, is a meal eaten outdoors. Although a picnic might be termed old-fashioned, it is actually very romantic. Choosing a nice spot to lay out your food always proves to be the greater challenge but once that is solved, you’re sure to have a great time. Sitting and eating informally can be the one thing that creates that bond your relationship needs because you would only connect with someone with whom you’re relaxed and comfortable around and this is the atmosphere a picnic creates.
Now, I don’t have any stories to tell. The last picnic I was fortunate to be a part of was organized by the children’s department of my local church. I was 10. So trust me, I am a bit rusty in this department.
Go on a Road Trip
This is preferable if one of you had a car. Now, there are certain cities in my home country that are infested with the traffic virus. Cities like Lagos state are a no no for road trips since it is always possible that you would get caught up in traffic.
The whole idea behind a car trip is to have the wind in your hair as you go to God knows where. This is a great opportunity to let your adventurous side be unleashed. While you are on this road trip, don’t forget to try out new cuisine, eat (un)healthy street food, take tourist pictures and several other things you wouldn’t do on a normal day. While you travel, you could also learn a great deal about each other and share some precious memories.
When I was with Daniel, we planned a very short road trip. He wanted us to go to a new theater that was being opened by his cousin. I almost refused when he told me where the theater was as it was extremely far from where I was even though both places were in the same city.
Daniel decided to improvise and that’s how we found ourselves in Daniel’s car, stuck in traffic but listening to old blues and watching the raindrops pattering on the hood of the car. Eventually, we had to take a different route back because we missed the event. Not a very nice ride but still an unforgettable one.
So, I say a resounding YES to road trips!
Beach Dates
Personally, I’ve always loved the beach, especially in the evening when the setting sun reflects warmly on the surface of the water and the air is warm and wraps you up like a good friend. When it comes to dates, one major factor that determines its success or failure is the atmosphere. I detest tight, cramped and hot spaces. I can’t think in such spaces and everything at that moment annoys me to no end, including my date if we are unfortunately caught in such a situation.
But I live for the freedom and air the beach provides! And I found out that when I get comfortable, I become the most agreeable person on earth and what’s better than an agreeable girl on a date?
Absolutely nothing!
Surely, we have discovered that indoor and outdoor dates both have their perks. Still, the choice is up to you! So which is it going to be?😊
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