So you saw an advert on a banner stand somewhere, you signed up to a dating site, and the next thing you know, you’ve been communicating with this person now for a few months.  You’ve exchanged photographs, emails, and perhaps even telephone calls.  Now you’ve both decided that it’s time to take the relationship to the next level and meet up in real life.  Suddenly this person you’ve been online dating for all of this time seems like a stranger again.  You don’t really feel that you’re going to meet up with an old friend, but rather a blind date where you know something about the person but not how they are in person.  So how do you put these anxieties behind you and confidently walk into a place where your online date is waiting for you?
Well the first thing is always personal security first.  As long as you’ve done everything you can to confirm that the person you’ve been online dating is the person they’ve said they are, there’s little more you can do.  Put together everything you know about them.  Do you know where they work?  Have you checked out if they actually work there?  A quick phone call to their work’s reception asking to speak to them will confirm that for you.  What about an internet search on both their email address (all of them if they have more than one), and also their name?   If you know they use any particular usernames online you could also search on these and see what turns up.  Could be a lot of loose trails that belong to someone else, but you’ll get a instinctive response if something does feel familiar.  Have you checked their forum posts and seen where else they’re posting at your dating site?  It may seem intrusive, but before you meet up with someone you must put your own safety first.
When deciding where to meet, don’t choose any location that’s out of the way no matter how romantic it might at first appear.  Whilst you probably don’t want to meet at somewhere you know will be crowded, try to choose somewhere that is in between – popular but not overcrowded.  Somewhere that doesn’t have a lot of loud background music would be also ideal otherwise you won’t be able to hear what you’re thinking never mind what your partner is saying!

First impressions count for alot, so make sure that you are wearing something that both compliments you and makes you feel confident. Feeling comfortable is one of the most important things, and knowing that you look good is equally important! It wouldn’t hurt to spend a bit of money on some bare escentuals makeup before going out, or treating yourself to some new perfume.
Before you leave home to meet your online date in person, make sure that you leave a note of where you are going and any information you have on the person you’re going to meet.  If possible arrange to have a friend phone you about 20 minutes into your date just to check that you’re feeling OK with your partner and nothing seems out of place.  If you do feel uncomfortable, the phone call will give you an opportunity to end the date without it seeming too obvious.
When you’re on the date, employ the same minimum personal information rule that you use when you’re dating online.  Don’t answer any question that you feel is too personal or makes you feel uncomfortable.  Even if you feel at home with your date, you can still play a little mysterious – at least until you’re as confident in the real life relationship with your partner as you are in the online one.

I’d just like to give a quick shout out to my good friends over at Enigin!