First dates are always toughies. You spend hours perusing your closet for the perfect first date ensemble only to come to the realization that you do not own said ensemble and must therefore spend another few hours perusing the local mall. Once date night actually arrives and the clothing situation is under control, it’s finally time to start worrying about other aspects of the evening: what you will talk about, if you will give your date a kiss hello, a kiss goodbye or a kiss good morning.

Now add all that to the fun little twist of having met the person via your MacBook and the game starts to change.

Online Couples Have It Easier…Or Maybe Harder

The first date for an online couple is in some ways easier than the not-so-technological alternative. For one thing, you know pretty much everything there is to know about your date…or at least what they have decided to share in their profile. You also have the advantage of being past the “getting to know you” phase — having spent the past seven nights curled up on your couch, laptop in lap, chatting to him/her for hours online. This makes the first date much less stressful as you already know that you enjoy the other person and won’t fake a migraine to bow out before the evening really begins.

I have done the online dating thing before – and am doing it again – and have learned from my online dating experiences that there are some things you can definitely expect on the first date. Like the fact that the first five to ten minutes of the date will be spent comparing one another to the photos you chose to post online. Followed by some awkward pauses in conversation as you begin to realize that you have already discussed the topics usually reserved for the first date. You may also find yourself referencing conversations previously had online and quickly realizing that those conversations were not had with your current date, but with one of the many other suitors you met online. Finally, your experiences with – and the general pros and cons of – online dating will also be discussed.

If you are feeling apprehensive about accepting the invitation, consider these universal internet dating truths:

Universal Online Dating Truths

1. People always post their best pictures online: If you don’t like what you see on the profile you will not like what you see through your peephole. As for people who don’t post pictures, well, be wary.

2. People are more at ease online: Emails and instant messages allow people extra time to think of witty and humorous responses. If they can’t come up with them via email, they won’t come up with them over drinks.

3. You are both nervous to be there: Sure, you sort of know each other, but that makes everyone even more nervous. You aren’t the only one wondering if he or she will like you as much in person; that’s pretty much a given.

4. Even though you “know” one another, there is still plenty more to learn: You probably logged in quite a few hours of conversation before date #1, but there is much more to get to know. You will have plenty to talk about; don’t you worry.

Now, keep all of that information in mind and you will be fine. Besides a few minor things, this first date won’t be that far off from any of your others; just secure the outfit and relax. If it goes horribly wrong, there is a whole world (wide web) out there for you to pick from.

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