An Introduction to this “Guide”
If you’re reading this, I’m going to assume you’ve used or at least know how the popular dating app Tinder works.
Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with the Tinder company and write solely for the entertainment purposes of my readers.
The purpose of this blog is mostly to tell about my online dating misadventures around the world…but for some readers, I’m going to give valuable tips that have been tried and tested to be more “successful” with setting up encounters. I hope you enjoy the ridiculous stories that accompany these tips and the life lessons I’ve learned through my random encounters with strangers around the world. Most of these stories have been written from a house in Bali, Indonesia, that used to belong to a good friend of mine and former Tinder match from traveling 2 years ago across South East Asia. My close friends all know that by now, the majority of my eclectic friendships have been made through encounters from the application.
Why should you continue reading? Well, you probably shouldn’t if you want to keep to your morals, but I’m not here to encourage that. I’m here with almost 4 years of app usage, over 1,700 matches across over 15 different countries and I’m only going to encourage you to go out and meet people you wouldn’t normally cross paths with. Please keep your mind open to the diversity of the world and to the lessons to be learned from individuals with completely different backgrounds and stories. There is something beautiful about every human being and every moment has the potential to move you forever.
For example (lot’s of examples are going to be used) I spent 1 night out in Medellin, Colombia, only a single night with this AMAZING girl who works closely with communities to rehabilitate those victims of land mines that have been set by the FARC throughout the country. We unfortunately only shared one night out, but she inspired me with stories about how she was on site with local government and FARC leaders working together to de-mine a field during the 2016 peace vote that was intended to end the 52 year war.
I was absolutely in love and our magical night ended at an art gallery / warehouse where we listened to an Argentinian alternative rock band that I am still listening to today. We parted ways quite some time ago, but thanks to social media, have stayed in touch ever since.
…interactions that had me following my heart all over the world…
These fleeting moments were just as impactful as the longer term (not very long term) interactions that had me following my heart all over the world and spending ridiculous amounts of money and time on flights. Or had me losing weeks where I threw caution to the wind and got swept off to a midget wrestling match in Alabama...
Be warned, this blog going to get a little weird…and often unfiltered. Hopefully you will find it helpful, stop taking the pursuit of love too seriously and enjoy the opportunities the app provides to meet new friends and partners for some memorable adventures.
There’s a few terms I’m going to clear up now in reference to the people I meet:
Matches: Matches are only matches until I meet them. When I say I’ve got over 1,700 matches on Tinder, I have not met ALL 1,700 people. Anyone who has navigated the app knows that coordinating is the most difficult part. Let’s be real, when meeting a stranger IRL (in-real-life) it’s hard to prioritize the plans you made while passing time on the toilet, take precedent over people you actually know.
Meetups: These are people I actually met face-to-face. Either briefly, or for an extended period of time. I DID NOT have sex with these people. I have had many meetups, probably over 100 by now, if not significantly more, but there was NO hanky panky. Strictly platonic interactions.
Hook-ups: Alright…I’m going to confess some devious acts in this book. If I refer to someone as a hook-up, you know we became better acquainted behind closed doors…or you know, on a beach in the Canary Islands. Or on a beach in Bali. Or in a bungalow on a Thai island…whatever. The birds and the bees kids.
Now that we’ve got that sorted, I’m going to be using my own experiences to help pass on some valuable tips and tricks for creating your own definition of Tinder success and running wild with it. I hope this inspires you to lighten up a bit and start using more GIFs or to quit trying to portray yourself as a GQ model when you’re a REAL person that can laugh, connect on a human level and have fun, regardless of the final outcome or “status” update.
Hold on tight, we’re about to get into some extreme Tindering.
These are the real stories of a female traveler and Tinder user in her mid-twenties, with over 15 countries and 1,700+ matches to date. If you find these stories entertaining, please share.
Download the full guide here: https://guidetotinder.com/
