Message from Isabel -
Before we get to Emma's last post, I just wanted to thank her for the amazing posts she wrote. It's not every day that you find, a kind, compassionate, smart, and hilarious gal that is also willing to have a date at a cemetery. Love you, Emma!
Now to her date!!
Key Takeaways: Always keep a blanket in your car for spontaneous park-going; I love lying down and staring at the sky talking about something you'll forget tomorrow.
Vitals:
Length of date: 2.5 hours
How the date was obtained: Hinge
Where: North Hollywood Recreation Center
Drew met me at Republic of Pie in North Hollywood which also happens to be one of my favorite cafes. He came, he peed, we left. We walked halfway to a park and then I decided to get my itchy, tiny, warm blanket from my car. On the way back, we ogled a Star Wars storm trooper on an electric skate board and swapped stories about our days spent substitute "teaching".
Drew is a kind dude. I like his energy. He's calm and collected. He's kind of childlike in his curiosity, always asking questions. Somehow, he can carry the conversation when I drop it like a hot pan. I tend to zone out and get into my thoughts. I think we're getting more comfortable with each other though because when we got to the park, found a spot and lie down, before you know it, we were playing footsie in the grass.
At one point, I was too shy to kiss him so I didn't look him in the eye for a solid 8 minutes. Instead, I stared up at the sky watching planes go by. Fascinating stuff. We laughed about our young and drunk travel experiences and our parents' odd behaviors. He showed me a scar on his hip where they took out some bone to put in his wrist. I was concerned. Didn't he need a band aid? No, he said, it's healing.
We watched dogs run around us. He asked me if I was a dog person. I said I like them. He said he loves Corgis. Glad we can agree on the non-negotiables.
When it was getting dark, I asked if he wanted to head back. I wondered what else we could do. Our places of residence are far apart so it would have been a hassle to go to either one, especially with having to wake up early for work in the morning.
We spotted a kid digging tracks in the dirt. I told the child I liked what he was making, and Drew confirmed it. I felt like we were playing off the people around us as if we were in a play. Testing, inviting, teasing.
We got to my car and lingered. We talked about our Memorial Day Weekend plans. I considered inviting him to a friend's gathering. I decided against it. Too soon. He said he's going to a medieval bar to watch baseball, one of his joys. Not the sport itself, he just likes the drama. We talked about the mountains in sight of North Hollywood and he asked me what they're called. I'm from here and I have no clue what that mountain range is. Sierra Nevada? Crystal Geyser? Arrowhead? Now I'm just listing water bottle companies.
I think that was a concern of mine: keeping the conversation alive. We succeeded. My meditation practice helped me to observe and stay grounded instead of traveling down thought spirals.
I'm excited to see Drew again. I'm also a little terrified. I feel like a little kid in adult jeans or a fish trying to twerk on sand. I'm very out of my element when I date new romantic interests and Drew is no exception.
Regardless, I'm looking forward to see what we do next. Maybe a movie? Maybe he can come over? That'd be a home run. (Note how I incorporated a baseball reference here because I am a comedian and like to flex on my callbacks. Sue me. No, please don't. Just hire me).
Overall Experience:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The future for us… I would like to see him again.
Next Week: We don't have a date lined up just yet. We're going slow.