My 2024 Dating Wrapped

They say dating is like shopping; sometimes you score a treasure, but most of the time, you’re just left with a clearance rack of disappointment. This year, I decided to give “putting myself out there” another shot. Ten dates later, I’m questioning why I even bothered. The bar isn’t just low, it’s six feet underground.

Let’s dive into the highlights (or lowlights?) with my top three honourable mentions.

Mr. 7/11

This date had my friends gasping, not in awe, but in sheer disbelief. First red flag? He couldn’t be upfront about his profession. Second? His version of a bar crawl involved three different 7/11s for his beloved vodka sodas. By the end of the night, he reeked of cigarettes, and poor decisions.

The evening started at a bar, where he warmed up with a few drinks, followed by dinner and a movie. Except, plot twist, he didn’t book the movie tickets or plan dinner. When he suggested yong tau foo (a dish I’m not fond of), I offered fast food as an alternative. He vetoed it and insisted on chicken rice. Fine. But guess who didn’t bring cash for our cash-only meal? That’s right, I had to foot the bill and buy movie tickets cause he didn't want to buy them online - mind you it was a weekend and tickets were selling fast.

The ick? He chattered non-stop during the movie, ignoring my increasingly pointed shushes and the glares from our fellow cinema goers. By then, my patience had evaporated, but he convinced me to grab “just one more drink.” Cue a 20-minute walk and no surprises, he brought me to yet another 7/11. He wanted to sit on some steps by the river with canned drinks like we were broke uni kids. Five minutes later, I was done. Look, I’m not high-maintenance, but this man redefined low effort. Mr. My Love Language is Physical Touch

Red flag on aisle one. This guy found every excuse to pat my back or tap my leg. Sir, we’ve just met. Hands to yourself. He told me his love language was physical touch, and boy, did he mean it. He also casually mentioned that he’d struggled socially in school, prompting his mom to transfer him to a school near my neighbourhood. He animatedly described how people from the school and by default living in the area were lower SES. When I pointed out that I lived in that area, his response was “Yeah, I can tell.”

I was fighting for my life out there, dodging microaggressions and unsolicited pats like it was an Olympic sport. I didn’t stick around long enough to uncover more red flags. Some exits just can’t come fast enough.

Mr. Eat Pray Love (EPL)

Here’s the thing about Mr. EPL: we were doing great. Five months in, I was starting to think, Could this be it? Then, he dropped the bomb - he was leaving for a three-month overseas stint.

The kicker? I could’ve easily visited him, but it was clear he didn’t want that. His reasoning? Burnout. He needed this time to “find himself.” Translation: I wasn’t part of the plan. It hurt because, hello, why date me for five months if you knew this was on the horizon? Why lead me on?

When we said goodbye, I cried. But when he said, “This isn’t really goodbye,” I knew it was for him, not for me. The moment he left, I stopped caring. I owed it to myself to move on, and I’m proud to say I did.

So here I am, stepping into 2025 with fresh perspectives, a stronger sense of self, and the resolve to raise the bar. No more settling for “meh” when I deserve only the best. Here’s to a dating wrapped worth celebrating next year.

See you in 2025!

Photo by Sapan Patel on Unsplash