Looking for Love Offline

Done with dating apps? We hear you. When they work, they work well, and every moment at the key board, talking up your profile, is worth it. But sometimes, there’s a limit to how often you can put yourself out there and grin your way through a meet-up you know, 3 minutes in, is going to lead nowhere. So if you’re done with Singles50, Bumble, or Hinge, and you’re looking for relationship inspiration, read on. We’ve caught up with those who’ve lucked in to love offline (or know how to) and this is what they’ve told us!

Jude

I don’t do the typical hunting and fishing type of bloke, but that’s all I was finding online. What I do do, is intimacy. I like to know someone from the inside out, so I deliberately took myself off to poetry writing workshops where I was hopeful of finding men who were looking into their own souls for inspiration. I didn’t find a fellow student, but I am now dating the tutor! I’m also happy to report there were almost as many men as women in my classes. My advice is to look for a potential partner in the place you’d most want to find them!

Roger

I found my (now wife) through volunteering at the SPCA. I’ve always thought you can judge a person by the way they treat animals, so I wasn’t surprised when one of the volunteer dog walking ladies turned out to be a kindred spirit. We bonded over weekend dog walking duties, met up out of volunteering hours, and the rest is history! Needless to say, we’ve adopted a rescue dog (Fredo), so there’s three of us in this relationship!

Helen

Skip the +one next time you’re invited to a function. I met my current partner at my cousin’s (second time round) wedding. The invitation came with ‘and partner,’ even though I didn’t have one. So rather than scrabble around looking for someone who would tag along with me, I fronted up alone. Just as well because my cousin’s (ex) brother-in law was there, also on his own, and rather than skip the dancing because we didn’t actually have anyone to dance with, we hit the floor together! I’m not convinced (yet) we’re made for one another, but we’re having a great time finding out!

Margie

I’m 60 and single, but over the years I’ve had more than one relationship with single men from my tramping group. Tramping can be hard going at times so there’s always an atmosphere of encouragement. At night, whether you’re in a hut or sitting round a camp fire, there’s an easy sense of companionship where you get to know one another without really trying. My advice to anyone looking for love – join a group where a degree of effort is required. It builds camaraderie, and sometimes this can be the start of love.

Ross

I’ve recently started dating a women I went to school with – I reconnected with her through Facebook. It’s is a great platform for checking out what old school friends are up to, and once you make contact, there’s no awkwardness because you have plenty of reminiscences to talk about. It’s not like meeting someone out of the blue – you already know a bit about them because, let’s face it, not a lot of us change that much! And here’s something not many men know – it’s mainly women who use Facebook, so if you’re a man using the site, you’ve got an advantage!

Latisha

I don’t enjoy meeting up with someone for the sake of it. I’d much rather bond with someone over a shared interest. For me, it’s my camper van. I belong to New Zealand Motor Caravan Association  (NZMCA). We go away on regular meetups and I’ll always find someone who’s ready to give me a hand setting up the awning or levelling the van. I’ve met several men who are on their own. I like their sense of independence, and I think they admire mine. I know if I wanted to pursue it, ‘love could be in the air.’ My advice to anyone looking for a partner is to do what you enjoy doing, but do it with others. Join a club, a team – whatever it takes to meet like-minded people. Love doesn’t happen out of context – that’s my opinion.

If you’re looking for love offline, we hope you’ve found inspiration through these contributors. If you have ideas of your own on how to find love, drop us a line!