She was There All Along, I was Just Looking in the Wrong Place 🔍

How Saying "Hi" Changed Everything: Rob & Christine's Story

Swiping, matching, chatting, dating, I’d tried it all. Some platforms felt like a full-time job, others just felt empty. What I really wanted was simple: to meet someone in real life. Not necessarily for love right away, just to connect, face to face. I didn’t care if it happened at the grocery store, during a walk, or over a drink. I wasn't just fine starting off as friends, it's what I wanted. If there was a spark, great. If not, I was happy meeting new people.

Most of my past relationships came through mutual friends. But after a seven-year relationship ended, I was starting from scratch. I had no partner and to be honest, some of my old friendships had faded too. I needed a change.

One evening, a friend told me about a really fun night she’d had through Meet5. I downloaded the app out of curiosity and set up a profile. It felt a little different at first, especially the part where, with the free version, you can’t just message anyone. But I quickly realized that was kind of the point. Meet5 was built around real-life meet ups, not endless messaging.

Still, there were times I saw someone I really wanted to message.

Eventually, I joined an activity. I wasn’t aiming for anything specific, I just wanted to see what it was like. It turned out to be a weekly group event nearby. Thankfully, it wasn’t one of those big, overwhelming regulars’ tables. That’s not really my scene.

After signing up, my profile started getting some attention. Someone even marked me as a favorite. I had no idea who it was yet, but it felt good to be noticed.

The evening kicked off at a wine bar. A few folks already knew each other, but most didn’t. We were twelve in total, four guys and eight women. Honestly, I expected way more men to show up, like at dating events I'd tried in the past. But everyone came, and the conversation flowed nonstop. We talked about everything from houseplants to relationships to homemade beer.

At the far end of the table was Christine. I’d noticed her in the group chat before. She was too far away to talk to that night, but her laugh caught my attention. Meanwhile, things on my end of the table were lively, someone brought a bluffing card game called Spicy. Chaos and laughter followed. I lost badly. Worth it.

Before I knew it, the evening had flown by.

Everyone had such a good time that we agreed to meet again soon. I already knew I wanted to see Christine again. But I also didn’t want to come on too strong, so I gave it a day.

I also really wanted to know who had saved me as a favorite. So, I upgraded to Premium. And it was actually Christine!

I messaged her right away. I won’t lie, my opening line was just “Hi.” Thankfully, she replied with a lot more.

I won’t walk you through every group hangout we’ve had since then, or every walk or bowling night we’ve shared. And my dates with Christine? Those details are staying between us. But I’ll say this: Meet5 got me off the couch and back into the real world. Now, whether I want to meet up with a fun group or spend time with Christine, I have options that bring me joy.

And it all started with a simple decision to show up.

Join an activity now!