E-romantic encounters

Possible blog post:

My E-Romantic Encounter: A Love Story for the Digital Age

Have you ever had an e-romantic encounter? You know, a romantic experience that started or mainly happened online, through apps, websites, or social media? If not, you might be missing out on some exciting possibilities for connection and happiness. If yes, you can probably relate to my story.

Let me introduce myself first. I am Sophie, a millennial woman in my late twenties who lives in a big city and works as a freelance writer. I love books, coffee shops, yoga studios, and traveling. I am also single (by choice) and sometimes lonely (by nature). However, that changed when I downloaded Bumble one autumn evening.

At first glance (or swipe), Bumble seemed like any other dating app – cute logos with yellow bees buzzing around pink flowers; lists of profiles of men with various heights and hobbies; chat boxes where you could exchange witty banter or boring questions about jobs and hometowns. Yet there was one feature that caught my eye: Bumble BFF.

BFF stood for Best Friends Forever or Bees For Fun – depending on your interpretation – but it meant basically the same thing: a way to find platonic friends through the app instead of romantic partners. As someone who had recently moved to a new city without many close companions nearby (except for my cat), I thought that might be worth exploring.

So I switched from Date mode to BFF mode and started swiping left or right based on my gut feeling about each profile picture and bio blurb. After several rounds of swipes without any matches (which felt oddly disappointing even though there was no stake involved), I finally got two matches almost at once.

One match was called Alex – he was tall with curly black hair that framed his freckled face; he wore glasses but looked confident in them; he liked beer, music, and trivia nights. The other match was called Zoe – she was a petite blonde with a pixie cut that emphasized her big brown eyes; she had tattoos on her arms that hinted at her rebellious streak; she enjoyed art, vegan food, and hiking.

I felt excited to chat with both of them and see what kind of vibe we could establish. Sure enough, within minutes of messaging each other (using the app’s standard icebreakers like “Hey there!” or “How’s your day going?”), I felt drawn to both Alex and Zoe in different ways.

Alex made me laugh with his puns and sarcasm; he asked me about my favorite coffee shops in town and recommended some new ones based on his own taste. He also admired my writing skills (which flattered me) but didn’t sound patronizing or creepy about it (which impressed me). He seemed like someone I could have fun with but also learn from.

Zoe made me curious with her stories about traveling solo to Europe last year; she shared some photos of the street art she discovered in Berlin or Paris that looked amazing; she expressed appreciation for my cat photos and shared some of her own pets’ escapades. She also mentioned that she sometimes organized community events like open mic nights or book swaps for locals who wanted to meet others outside dating apps. She sounded like someone I could admire as well as befriend.

So I decided to take things further by proposing actual activities outside the app – after all, what was the point of befriending people if you never met them face-to-face?

With Alex, we first met at a bookstore where we browsed bookstore shelves together while sipping lattes (with oat milk for him). We talked about books we loved or hated recently; we recommended each other titles by diverse authors or genres we hadn’t tried yet. We then moved on to a nearby park where we played frisbee and watched some street performers who sang cover songs and juggled oranges. We laughed at each other’s clumsy throws and cheered for the musicians who reminded us of our favorite bands. We finished the day with a beer tasting tour that Alex had organized himself; he showed me three different breweries that each had their own history and flavor profiles. We rated each beer on our own scale (I liked the sour one best) but agreed that all of them were tasty enough to have another round.

With Zoe, we first met at an art exhibit that she invited me to; it was a collection of feminist artworks by emerging artists from around the world. We admired those paintings, sculptures, photographs, or installations and discussed what messages or emotions they conveyed to us; we also took selfies in front of some pieces that resonated with ourselves – Zoe made silly faces while I tried to look serious or mysterious (and mostly failed). We then walked around the neighborhood where the exhibit was located; we stopped by a vegan bakery where Zoe bought us some cupcakes (one chocolate for her, one carrot cake for me); we sat on a bench in a small park where we people-watched and chatted about our families, careers, dreams, fears. We hugged goodbye after promising to attend each other’s future events – mine was a poetry reading night at an indie bookstore while hers was a guided hike through a national park.

Both encounters felt like mini adventures that encompassed multiple dimensions – visual, intellectual, sensory – as well as personal. Both encounters also challenged my assumptions about what friendship could be or how it could begin. They both showed me how much I could enjoy spending time with people I hardly knew but felt comfortable around because they shared my values or interests.

And both encounters led to more encounters later on – not necessarily romantic ones between Alex or Zoe and myself (although I admit there were moments when I wondered if that could happen), but definitely meaningful ones between us as friends who cared about each other’s well-being and growth.

For instance, Alex invited me to join his trivia team one night at a local bar; we won the first prize and high-fived each other like we had just conquered a quiz show. We also went to some concerts together and discovered new bands that we liked (or disliked) together. And Zoe invited me to attend her book swap event where I met some cool readers and writers who shared their favorite titles and tips for improving my own craft. We also went on a hike together where we saw some breath-taking views of the mountains around our city; she cheered me on when I felt tired or scared by the steep climb, and took some photos of me pretending to be an adventurer (even though I was really just posing for Instagram).

Through these E-romantic encounters – or rather, e-platonic encounters – with Alex and Zoe, I learned not only how much technology could enable or enhance human connection but also how much vulnerability it required from people like ourselves who were willing to take risks in seeking new friends. I learned how important it was to be open-minded about others’ backgrounds or beliefs even if they differed from ours (as long as they didn’t harm anyone); I also learned how valuable it was to respect others’ boundaries or preferences even if they didn’t match our own.

And most importantly, through these E-romantic encounters, I found what might be more precious than romance itself: a sense of community that gave me support, inspiration, joy, understanding – without demanding anything in return except mutual kindness.

So my advice for anyone curious about E-romantic encounters is this: go ahead and give them a try! You never know what kind of treasures you might find online – whether it’s your next best friend forever or your soulmate for life. Just remember to stay safe, sane, and savvy – by using common sense, intuition, and communication skills – and to have fun while doing so.