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Hello, Love

Love changes us. Love makes us human.

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A Strange Encounter in New York City on a Nerve Date in the Early Two-Thousands

7 min readFeb 19, 2022

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Woman with strange eyes lying in leaves in a New York City park.
Photo by Ezekixl Akinnewu from Pexels

“I’m done with traditional ways of finding guys. I’m telling you, this is the future of dating.” Jessica’s blue eyes beamed down at me from her six-foot stature in elegant heels.

“Seriously?” My heart raced, which was kind of nice in the bitingly cold East Village wind on that otherwise snowless December night. “Aren’t you a little…,” I searched for the words, recalling not-so-safe moments in my life where dating was far from pleasant, or consensual.

“That’s one of the reasons it’s so brilliant.” Jessica was gorgeous, one of a number of actual models I’d grown close to since moving to New York, though she no longer worked as one. I’d somehow landed a spot at Columbia University as an academic underdog from a small New Mexican town with nothing but a GED and some decent writing chops. “You get to drill down to exactly what you’re looking for: education level, types of books he likes, job interests, hobbies, whatever. Plus, you obviously meet in public. It’s way safer than a crowded bar.”

She was right, though this new way of approaching dating seemed so … off as if for someone who had to hide behind a computer.

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Hello, Love
Hello, Love
Jenny Mundy-Castle
Jenny Mundy-Castle

Written by Jenny Mundy-Castle

Jenny Mundy-Castle is the author of Every Time I Didn’t Say No, her memoir inspired by educating high-trauma youth in New York, New Mexico, and Nigeria.