If you’re a thrill seeker with a serious case of wanderlust, we’ve got some good news for you: your appetite for adventure might just help you score a date this summer.
According to a study done by Match.com, 87 percent of singles on Match say that people with a healthy sense of adventure are perceived as extremely attractive. Yes, extremely attractive.
It makes sense. There’s a reason why you see so many people with photos of travel, hiking, surfing and other so-called adventurous activities on their online dating profiles. A desire for adventure is sexy. Besides, who are you more likely to respond to: the person who is shown napping on their couch or the guy/girl standing on the top of a mountain?
Interestingly enough, there is actually a scientific explanation for why we find adventurous people so attractive. Dr. Helen Fisher, a Biological Anthropologist and the Chief Scientific Advisor for Match explains, “novelty triggers the dopamine system in the brain to make you feel alert, focused, energetic, optimistic…and often romantic, making one’s sense of adventure the ultimate aphrodisiac. So when you find an adventurous partner, you’re likely to have a companion who will keep you lively, healthy and romantic too.”
The survey also found that 73 percent of singles on Match would be more attracted to a partner who shares items on their bucket list. This also makes a lot of sense. If you’re looking for a serious relationship, why wouldn’t you want to find someone you can experience these life-changing adventures with?
Here are the top 10 bucket list items based on the lists from the survey:
- Fall in love. (83 percent)
- Go on a wine tour in Napa. (53 percent)
- Change someone’s life for the better. (52 percent)
- Get to my ideal weight. (47 percent)
- Go on a safari. (45 percent)
- Ride a hot air balloon. (45 percent)
- See the Northern Lights. (45 percent)
- Go to the Super Bowl. (43 percent)
- Swim with dolphins. (39 percent)
- Travel through Europe. (38 percent)
We’re sharing these facts because summer is the perfect time to embrace your sense of adventure. Besides, as you’ll see, you don’t have to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or scuba dive in shark-infested waters to embrace your adventurous spirit.
Here are a handful of adventurous date ideas to try right now.
- Go on a wine or food tour locally.
So, you can’t make it to Napa right at this moment. No problem! Lots of local wineries, distilleries and restaurants offer local tasting events and tours. Even if you’re staying local, experiencing a change of scenery and a bunch of new flavors is a great way to inject your date with some novelty.
- Get tickets to a music festival and go together.
Sure, it’s a bit of a risk purchasing tickets to a music festival and spending the whole day together, but just think of the positives: if you’re both big audiophiles, you’ll be able to look back on this date as a memorable one. Just think, when you’re old and gray, you can tell your grandchildren, “Your grandpa and I will always have that Drake concert from the summer of 2017.” You’re welcome.
- Embrace local marine life.
If you can actually go swimming with dolphins in your area, make it happen and cross off a major bucket list item in the process! If you can’t visit with dolphins up close and personal, why not visit a local Aquarium or go on a whale watching tour? If you don’t have anything of the sort in your area, look for summer boat cruises where you can spend the day on the ocean together.
- Take in a sporting event.
Okay, so maybe you can’t land tickets to the Super Bowl, but what about attending another sporting event? Instead of going to the same old dive bar for a beer, grab a few tickets to a local game and enjoy getting to know each other over beverages in the stands.
- Go stand-up paddle boarding.
It’s summer, which means it’s the perfect time to do all of those outdoor water activities you’ve been looking forward to all winter, like stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, surfing or even white-water rafting. If you’re not super experienced, why not take a lesson together and make a date out of it? Nothing says adventure like learning a new skill.
