Key Takeaways: Turns out dating app algorithms might know something about chemistry and compatibility.
Vitals:
Name: Karch because he played college volleyball and Karch Kiraly is (apparently) a huge deal in the volleyball world.
Length of date: 3 hours
How the date was obtained: Matching on two different dating apps
Where: The Great White coffee shop in Venice, which was also the location of Date #46
Karch and I go waaayyyy back… to like a year ago, when we first matched on the dating app, Hinge. His profile stood out because he seemed funny and friendly. I noticed that we went to the same college, so I reached out to him and mentioned our shared alma mater. We quickly discovered several mutual friends and that he’d even attended one of my sorority formals with a close friend. As we continued to text back and forth, he mentioned he was working in NorCal and therefore wouldn’t be able to meet up anytime soon.
Our conversations dropped off until I matched with him again on The League. We picked up right where we left off and updated each other about the previous pandemic months. Eventually, he mentioned that he was still in NorCal, so again our conversations petered out.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when he saw my profile on The League again. Karch texted, “Well, hello there.” Were the dating gods giving us a sign? We’d matched several times and still had not met in person. I quickly responded, “We always come back to each other, don’t we?”
It turned out that Karch was not working in NorCal anymore. He was working from home in Huntington Beach. So, we made plans to meet at The Great White coffee shop in Venice. I was hesitant to go to The Great White after a previous date there, which I titled: “The Series of Unfortunate Events.” But I figured if I avoided the canals, maybe this date would be more opportune.
I shouldn’t have counted myself “fortunate” too soon because the night before our date, I accidentally sent him a TikTok video that I’d just made. (Side note – I’ve been writing, editing, and acting in TikToks which are loosely based on my experience with Date a Week LA. If you’re interested, my handle is @frizzyhairizzy.) Anyway, I meant to send this TikTok to myself as part of the uploading process, but I accidentally sent it to Karch. To say that I was embarrassed would be an understatement. I immediately texted: “OMG I did not mean to send that to you. I’ll understand if you don’t want to go on a date now and please feel free to delete my number.” Luckily, he was still on board.
The fateful Sunday came, and I finally met Karch. Meeting in person, I noticed he seemed very easy-going and really charming. We ordered our $8 coffees, sat down outside, and chatted about all kinds of things. We discussed our college experiences (he’s a couple of years older than me), our pandemic challenges, our favorite travel destinations, movies we liked, and our families. We chatted and laughed for around two and a half hours. Eventually, we got up to walk around Venice—but not the canals. (BTW, if you’re interested in purchasing dream catchers, graphic tees, or recreational drugs, Venice Beach is the place for you. Shockingly, it’s not really my scene because I’m into very formal attire and hard drugs.)
Finally, we said goodbye and I left with a smile on my face. I think dating app algorithms might actually know something about compatibility and chemistry. Later when I got home, Karch sent me a video. It was an embarrassing dance-off from when he was a college freshman. I loved that he sent it because it made me realize he has a great sense of humor and doesn’t take himself too seriously. Those are two things that are really important to me. It also showed me he was thoughtful enough to send me an embarrassing video of his own after I’d accidentally shared one of mine. Very nice.
Overall Experience:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The future for us… I’m not sure, but 2021 already looks very merry and bright.
Next Week: Another date with Nic from Date #50. Also, this will be my LAST date of 2020. You heard me right, people! 52 dates in 52 weeks. So, get ready for some sentimental thoughts and some (hopefully) helpful takeaways.
P.S. - Don't forget to stay updated on Date-a-Week! Ryan and Skylar are meeting people, making connections, and entertaining us all along the way! Check out their third date of the month HERE!