Single in Sin City

Desert Dating Brings the Rain

Prior to moving to Las Vegas, I was in a relationship. Things seemed to be going well . . . until they suddenly weren’t! I’m sure there were many things that contributed to the demise of our relationship. The difference in time zone was difficult enough. Also, I’ve come to realize that trying to maintain a relationship when developing a new career in a 24/7 city and being a graduate student is near impossible if that person doesn’t understand your position or trust you. When it finally ended, I had extra time for some more selfish ‘me time’ and even more energy for work.

After several weeks of being single, my new friends began encouraging me to date. Dating in Las Vegas seemed like a ridiculous idea considering in this small town, there are only 2 million residents. That’s pretty small considering the 40 million tourists that visit throughout the year. Therefore the chances of meeting some nice local guy were not very high. My friends suggested a few nice places to meet nice guys and even tried to set me up on a blind date. My colleagues even invited me to bars and clubs with them because they were on the man hunt. Honestly, dating is NOT a priority right now and I don’t think you can meet ‘Mr. Right’ in a bar or night club. Needless to say, all of their suggestions were met with a quick, NO THANKS!

When I Googled ‘Dating in Las Vegas’ a plethora of recommendations appeared including local match making services (It’s Just Lunch) and tips from some recognizable companies like eHarmony and Match.com. Seconds after reading the lists of websites, I decided this was not the route I wanted to go. I’d consider a blind date at a Starbucks before I take my chances with online dating. However, before I closed my browser, I decided to humor myself with some dating tips.

Although most of these tips are just plain common sense, here’s a look at eHarmony’s Top 10 Guide to dating in Las Vegas (sprinkled with my comments of course).

1.       Live Like A Local – That makes sense

2.       Dress for the weather – Duh! Contrary to popular belief, wearing flashy garments in Las Vegas is NOT attractive.

3.       Avoid Bars, especially along The Strip – This is exactly what I told my co-workers!

4.       Go to casinos frequented by locals – Isn’t this similar to a bar setting?

5.       Take a Hike

6.       Attend an outdoor concert – Nice casual setting

7.       Go Boating

8.       Explore the Vegas Arts District

9.       Attend First Fridays at the Arts District – Lots of networking opportunities here

10.   Find Your Sexy – I’m curious as to why having confidence in yourself isn’t listed as #1

In regards to the dating tips above, I think I’ll let my experience guide me should I decide to date in Las Vegas. Some tips are interesting and others just seem stupid. In any event, I got a really good laugh while reading it.

My non-dating phase may feel like a storm to others, but for me its a start to new beginnings. Sunshine always appears after the rain. Being single in Sin City is the best thing right now (at least for me it is).