Messages from Match
Looks like I avoided a few weirdos out there.
Back to School
I didn’t think I’d ever really log back in to this account to write another post. I figured I’d just let the site live online so people could read my crazy tales (some good, some bad).
Then about a month ago(?), I received a e-mail from a student at the University of Miami asking me to be a part of her presentation for her Social Media class. I did contemplate the idea for a day or two just because I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to rehash all of it and thought what I could possibly say to elaborate that wasn’t already written about. But then I figured why the hell not? I embrace social media in my everyday life and it certainly played a large part in my dating project. So I agreed and this past Wednesday I set foot inside a college classroom for the first time in about 8 years!
Although it was a pleasant experience and the student who interviewed me (I’ll leave her name out to for privacy reasons) was very kind and the class was very gracious, I didn’t really plan on writing a post about it…until this tweet:
So ok. Here’s my official write up:
Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply (although I’m not really sure when you posted this question)! Truth be told, I havent logged onto this Tumblr in a while since the project ended.
As for suggestions, just dive in head first! You should definitely approach it in a way that will make you feel most comfortable. I know for me, the steps were to secure a Twitter and FB page, as well as a website URL and YouTube page. Then, e-mail your friends and family as well as top Tweeters and publications in your area (to extend beyond your social circle). Then all you can do is be optimistic and hope for the best. But again, that was just my approach.
If you do decide to do it, e-mail me at claudia@seeclaudiadate.com and I’ll be happy to spread the word! Good luck!
The End.
Since another story was recently published, I thought I’d write one last note. In case you are finding this website and reading this project for the first time, I’ll give you a quick summary.
“See Claudia Date” is a social experiment in which I attempted to go on 30 dates in 30 days in the month of August (not to mention I celebrated my 30th birthday last month as well). Although I fell just shy of the 30 in 30 goal, it was a great experience (although exhausting at times). I met nice guys, fun guys, shy guys, and a guy who ran away. You can read all about the guys, the dates, and how I felt in the beginning (and towards the end).
The project is now over. Thank you all and I hope you enjoy reading about them (if you’re stumbling upon this for the first time).
xo-
Claudia
UPDATE: At the urging of a new reader, here’s a link to the archives (although they are on the left hand side of this site as well). You can scroll all the way to the bottom of the archives and start at the beginning.
‘Online dating, with a twist’
I was pretty sure I was done posting, but I thought I’d share this link from the Sun Sentinel. In the midst of my project last month, a reporter named Sarah Darville contacted me to talk about my venture as part of a bigger story she was doing on online dating. And remember my second date with Chris F.? Well, he and I were photographed before seeing a movie.
The article itself is rather interesting, if anything just to read about these other women’s stories (including a woman on the road to finding a husband and a matchmaker).
With that said, I’ve since received one or two more e-mails about dates, which I guess is to be expected since the story just ran this past Sunday (I was out of town in NYC, so I did not see the print edition). Needless to say, as stated in my last post, I’m just not ready to take on any new dates. I barely managed to juggle the dates last month, I can’t imagine meeting more people at this point. I’ve met some cool people and I swear I don’t mean to sound ungrateful or selfish, I just am not ready to meet anyone new right now.
Here’s the link to the story: ‘Online dating, with a twist’ by Sarah Darville.
(above photo credit: Ginny Dixon)
Looking back on the (almost) 30 dates in 30 days
First off, I have to thank Mary Rambin and the Broward New Times for being the first to post about this project on their blogs. This project was never about publicity, but I’d be lying to myself if I said the publicity wasn’t necessary at first to help spread the word beyond my circle of friends on Facebook or Twitter. They helped get it to a new audience (some of who resulted in dates). Although I willingly took on this task and social experiment, I don’t know if anything could’ve prepared me for all that came along with it. At the beginning it was nervewracking, sometimes it felt routine, but overall, even though I fell short of my 30 dates goal, I feel like I accomplished what I originally set out to do. I went out on nearly 30 dates with different people that I may have never met otherwise. I also think that I could picture a friendship beyond this whole thing with a few of them. As far as anything romantic, only time will tell. Truthfully, I think this month of speed dating has kind of made me want to hold off on dating, for a while at least. But, I think that if anything romantic unfolds, it should happen organically. I know that might sound silly coming from someone that attempted 30 dates in a month, but it’s what I believe.
A little Q&A
Well hello there! Hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend. I was going to attempt to write everything in one post, but the more I started writing, I thought it might be best to answer your questions in a separate post and write up my final thoughts in a another entry. I didn’t want to rush into it, so I took a few days to really kinda think things over. So here are your questions answered, to the best of my ability.
I promise to wrap it up soon…
Thank you to everyone who has said they will miss reading this website. Honestly, there were times I couldn’t imagine this process being over, and now, poof! Dunzo.
With that said, some of you may have seen my follow up interview on NBC Miami Tuesday night (sorry no link…and good thing ‘cause I looked terrible) or read about my follow up in the Broward New Times. Tom at the New Times has been awesome and super nice about following this project, but when I told him that the dates “got old to me”, I didn’t mean that the dates were bad. I meant the actual motion of having a first date. But again, I’ll clarify all of that.
On that note, I’m flying to Dallas for the weekend to visit my family (yay!), so maybe I’ll wait until the end of the week to see if I get any other questions from you all before I finally wrap this thing up. Thanks y’all!
Date #29: The last date
Date #29: Andy, 24
Location: Tarpon Bend in Fort Lauderdale
You’re probably thinking “Date 29? The LAST date?” Yes. You read that correctly. Which means I fell one date short of the 30 in 30 goal.
A note from Date 28, Brad
I received the following e-mail earlier this evening. I have to say, although I have either e-mailed or texted dates after our initial date to thank them for their time and company, this is the first e-mail I have received with unsolicited feedback. And with his permission, I am posting it for you to read. Thanks Brad!
I sat down this morning and decided to read the posts about your dates and experiences now that our date has concluded. Feel free to post this if you like as there are several things I would like your fans and detractors to know from my point of view…
