*This post was sponsored by Guernsey Dating.

2020 was a weird old year, wasn’t it? I mean, we actually had the government telling us to wear face-coverings for certain situations. It all sounds a bit George Orwell doesn’t it?

I’m writing this post in April 2021 when the UK government have given us a roadmap for the first attempt at everything opening normally again. In the distant future, it will seem strange that we had a whole year where we just stayed in our houses not seeing anyone. There are some upsides though: Companies have seen how well people have managed working from home, and online dating has become more accessible ad more of an attractive proposition for people that have never used it before. Necessity is the mother of invention. I’ve been dipping my toes a bit in the online dating pool in the last few years, and here are some tips I have for you.

Stay local

Signing up to a dating site that is local to you will do wonders for your match rates. Sites like Guernsey Dating give you the option to find REALISTIC options that you can actually arrange a physical, real-life date with. One of the main things I noticed about online dating sites is that if you stick to the local ones, you ALWAYS have a conversations starter. You could talk about a big building project or your favourite restaurant in the area. I also find that local dating sites offer a lot more of a detailed profile on their free plans than any other dating sites.

Your first date if you are doing it virtually

You might live in a certain area that has not been opened up properly yet or you might just be a little worried about the pandemic and not want to socialise the minute everyone else does. That is absolutely fine, we have so much technology at our fingertips virtual dating is easy. To make it feel like you are eating together, why not have the same dinner and do a video call at the same time? You can do the same with a film and then you will feel like you are at the cinema.

Your first date out and about

Sites like Guernsey Dating are a great place to meet good matches from your area. Both of you should at least know ONE good place in your area to go for a date, so that makes two great date ideas (one each) that you already have stored on the back-burner. Guernsey is an island so as you can imagine it is home to some gorgeous beaches. Le Grand Havre and Vazon Bay are particularly nice beaches. Yacht charter is also popular, so you could romantically explore ALL of the Channel Islands instead of just Guernsey. If you are someone that likes action and adventure you might like to try one of the many sports on offer. BE it Archery, Puffin Spotting, Paddle-Boarding or Kayaking, there is a sport for everyone. At certain tides, you can even Kayak around the whole island.