Online dating can be a lot of fun. It can also be damn confusing. "does he like me? why isn't he online? Should I fly to Melbourne to meet her? Does he really want children? How many guys does she have emailing her each day?" Its enough to send you crazy!
Ask the dating doctor these questions and more! If you have been out of the dating game for a while, it can be a very strange experience! The first phone conversation, the first meeting, do I kiss or have sex on the first date, where should we go, and where do I go from here are all valid concerns to navigate on the online dating journey. The Dating Doctor hopes to answer and showcase scenarios that happen to us along the way.....
Q: How long should I wait until I decide to meet my love interest for the first time?
A: Depending on the level of interest, common ground etc, people usually vary in the time spent ping-ponging emails, kisses, and IM conversations. It often comes down to taking a risk - which can either engage the romantic angle even more, or burst the fantasy bubble. I know one encounter where "Tom" enjoyed a week of VERY saucy email banter with a woman and at the first opportunity, chose to meet up in person. The resulting encounter, whilst fun, certainly proved to be somewhat of a letdown. "The emails let me to believe she was some kind of insanely funny extrovert..... I mean, she was interesting in person, but her online photos were a little misleading, we chatted for an hour over coffee, it wasn't like it was dead time, but after a week of her emails, the up front flesh to flesh situation was.... different". The online dynamic stopped there for Tom, with communication ceasing at that point except for 2 weeks later where he sent an SMS message to her phone. The reply "who is this?" certainly hammered the point home. It seems the encounter provided no "spark" for either party, with no follow-up after the initial intensity of online interaction. "It was just strange, kind of a let down, and then kind of a relief" remembers Tom, who made a point not to get too carried away until he meets somebody in the flesh"
More Q & A coming shortly. Email your questions to the doctor!