Manuela López-Restrepo

Dating is a really vulnerable thing and we didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable, so we didn't record my chats with people.

We just checked in on Mike in the back office in between our conversations and it was cute.

They lowered the lights, they put up some streamers, they gave out name tags color-coded to what type of person you're attracted to.

It was kind of a vibe to be flirting next to shelves of organic beans.

But, you know, I still felt nervous talking to people.

You've talked to a couple people now.

How's it been?

It has been a lot.

I...

don't know if it's because I'm just not used to this type of interaction and this type of like intentionality there is something about the directness of why we are here that I'm finding really difficult to navigate it's making me nervous I'm like choking up a little bit okay we're gonna do a lap and I'm gonna make you point out to me who I think is cute yeah okay and then you gotta approach them I need a cigarette

Maybe.

And after that, I did approach a couple of people that I thought were cuties.

I had some nice chats, as they would say on Love Island.

But ultimately, I didn't really feel a spark with anybody or not enough to prompt me to ask them for their number or anything, at least.

I would say so, yeah.

It had a little bit of a school dance energy, sort of a nervous eagerness that I think is hard to find in adult spaces at this point in life, and so there was something really invigorating about that.

I really appreciate people who are willing to put themselves out there when they have a lot of really simple options to never do that ever again.

We must always remember that dating is a numbers game.

My therapist likes to say that you will kiss a lot of toads before you find your frog.

And so I think if I were to be doing this on a frequent basis, I'm sure it would feel much more...