By Nicole Baikie — Written on Nov 18, 2009
Obviously, if you sense that their pet love has reached a point where you are thinking they need to attend your Co dependents Anonymous class you might want to keep walking but all in all the pet parade can be heaps of fun as long as your dog knows how to play nicely. If manners is what your beast is lacking you can still meet a potential mate at your local dog obedience class.
5. Weddings, Christenings and dare I say Funerals?
If you can get past the fact that you have to attend yet another event that highlights everything you are missing in your life ( like a life partner or a baby hopefully not death!) Life celebrations are right up there in the list of places to meet your match. If the bride has her act together she will be sure to seat you at a table with other singles (preferably not the children) If the action isn't happening at your table, be sure to take a wander to other tables and say hello or make your way to the dance floor and dance like no one is watching ( however,save what you learned in your pole dancing class for another day.) Even though it might be tempting to get completely trashed at such an event - in word - DON'T. You are doing yourself absolutely no justice by getting loaded and acting like a tragic character out of "The Wedding Singer" Instead enjoy the natural rush of celebrating love, new life or even a great life passing. Your natural sparkle will be more than enough to attract potential suitors to you.
6. Home Depot and hardware stores
Believe it or not these chains stores are prime hunting grounds and definitely deserve a mention. Throw away your preconceptions that every man in a hardware store is married and every woman found there is crazed feminist who will tear a strip off you for holding open the door. Lets face it - economic hardship and the knowledge that fixing up and maintaining your home can be an extremely profitable activity. I don't know about you but a man in work boots is right up there on my list of sexy and a woman who can fix her own faucet is bound to impress. There is no harm in asking someones opinion on things or asking advice especially because you practically need a GPS system to find service rep in these big box stores. If you are wondering if they are single - look for a ring or indirectly ask in conversation (ie what color would your partner choose?) Check out line ups are exactly that places to check people out!
7. Extreme Adventures and Group Excursions
Nothing brings people closer than the fear of death. If you want to get to know someone in a hurry sit on a plane with them before they take their first skydive, climb with them to the top of a bungee jump, or sit on a bus with them before a river rafting adventure. No doubt all will be revealed! If adrenaline isn't your drug of choice, take it down a notch and consider a hiking, birdwatching, whale watching excursion. Still heaps of time to make friends and be an encouragable flirt. Garden tours, theme cruises, travel adventure the list goes on and on. Whatever, you are interested in there are always others who will pay to join a like minded group and avoid having to go it alone. Nowadays many of these excursion groups advertise as singles activities, so you don't even have to worry if you will be the only single in a sea of couples. If group activities don't really cut if for you - fly solo on your next great adventure you never know who you will meet in your travels. The important lesson is don't wait for your life partner to start living today.
8. The Office
A certain amount of decorum is necessary for pulling of the office hook up. The last thing you want is to be chasing your employer's secret lover or dealing with a sexual harassment officer! You will know beyond a shadow of a doubt if someone is interested in you at work. They will find every reason to be near you, wind up at the photocopier at the same time, bring you coffee, invite you for after work drinks etc. If you like them no doubt you will be doing exactly the same things. The good thing about the office is that you can rest assured you will get to run into your crush day after day so no need to rush things. Take note of how they treat their colleagues, keep their desk and deal with crisis you can tell a lot about how they will behave in a relationship by how they behave at work. Remember to read your signals carefully as the last thing you want is to feel uncomfortable around a fellow colleague who clearly has no personal interest in you http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifie (don't send them 24 red roses and watch for their reaction as they open the card)
9. The Supermarket
One of my personal favorites - at the end of the day everyone has to eat. However, not everyone cooks. You can tell a great deal about someone by what they have in their shopping trolleys. It is really a mini bio on wheels. Make a point of saying hello and striking up a conversation with at least five new people every time you go shopping. With practice it will become second nature to make conversation over how to tell if a rock melon is ripe or what cut of beef is best for grilling on the barbecue etc. Then when you really do come across someone who takes your breath away and doesn't have a shopping trolley that spells married, you can rest assured that all your practice will pay off and conversation will flow. Shopping can be fun, make sure you look presentable ( ie change out of your pajama bottoms and wear a fresh T shirt) and bear in mind late night grocery shoppers are more often than not single as they are not at home with their families and they are wandering around with a sort of uhhh single look about them.
10. The Laundry Mat
Ok please bear with me on this one. I know its hard to imagine in some communities that a laundry mat would be a desirably place to meet anyone but keep in mind a lot of very cool inner city dwellers live in older apartments without room for their own washing machines and dryers. Think New York and that sexy commercial where the guy takes off his levis right in the laundry mat. If you live in an apartment which has laundry facilities on each floor or in the basement this is definitely dates in the making material. What better way to meet someone you like in your building plus you can check out their taste in underwear at the same time! So many ways to make a nice gesture to someone you think is hot in a laundry mat. You can help them make change, lend them some soap powder, tell them how to get a stain out, switch over their machines, grab them a coffee when you get yourself one - list goes on and on.
11. The Book Store
Is this not what great romance movies are made of. Classic meetings in book stores talking through the stacks. Well apart from the fact that no one appreciates people that try to talk to them when they are reading books they don't own and have no intention of buying - book stores are great places to meet like minded folk. If you hang out in your favorite section (try to venture out of the self help department folks) you can almost rest assured that you will meet someone interesting. Ironically, people still buy good books and read them. Amazon.com has definitely taken away a bit of business from the good old book store but for true literary die hards nothing beats the smell of books in the morning...
12. Airports and Transit Stations
Airports bring people together in more ways then one. Long delays, line ups and cancellations occur on a regular basis - how convenient for meeting sexy singles. When you have hours to kill and not much to do except buy things your don't need at duty free or expensive mediocre meals that always leave you wanting more, you would be amazed at how easy it is to strike up a conversation with the spartan lad in the seat across from you. Content is key - complaining about delays and poor airline service is tedious at best. Why not help both of you take your mind of the long wait by speaking about something your are passionate about! If you have a soft spot for adventurous, spontaneous, fun loving sorts this is undoubtedly the place to be!
So there you have some prime locations for some serious hunting. Please remember that your dating success still rests largely on you. Being relationship ready is paramount and the best way to do this is take the time to work on yourself before you head out into the wilds. This means that you've done the work necessary to have a stable and balanced lifestyle, have a strong sense of self-esteem and confidence, have put closure to unfinished business from the past, and have a clear vision of who you are, what you want, and what you stand for (both as an individual and as a life partner). This is your foundation for your negotiable and non-negotiable needs and wants as you date. If you are uncertain that you are able to successful do this type of work on your own, working with a professional dating coach like myself is the best way to prepare yourself for attracting your ideal mate. Happy Hunting!
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