Date 2: Taking a Hike

A few days later in January, I agreed to a coffee date with the cashier who had checked me out at my local Trader Joe’s. 

Yes, Joe checked me out in more ways than one.

I was impressed with his kindness and his audacity to ask for my number (while ringing me up for my produce). On a Friday in the midmorning, we met at a local coffee and pie shop that I had been to once with my college friends. He was intriguing, extremely tall, and one of those people who’s direct and inquisitive— Enough to be offputting at first, but then just enough to make you think he’s different (from all the other complacent ones). 

We took a walk around North Hollywood and talked about our lives, our spirituality and our respective run-ins with signs from the Universe. He asked whether I minded if he smoked (I did) and, when I made a face, he explained that it was a lesser vice than others in the past.

Things got weird when he asked if I was open to casual (aka sexual) relationship. My physiological response told me that I wasn’t (enter: Cory’s newfound intuition). I wasn’t used to setting boundaries, but  I had become much more clear on what I was looking for. I “took the leap” and chose honesty, texting him a few hours after the date to tell him that we weren’t interested in the same thing,

That afternoon was the day I decided to hit the trailhead, bring my AirPods - and start a personal podcast (aka catalog of personal voice memos) called “take a hike.” It would detail the stories of all my failed dates— or rather, the tales of each man I would come to tell to “take a hike” when we weren’t a match. It would entertain AND serve as a reflection tool on my dating quest. 

Little did I know that there wouldn’t be many more first dates after this one…