Looking for love but feeling stuck in the same old bar scene? Well, I totally get you! In this episode, we dive into some fresh and fun alternatives to the usual spots for meeting singles. I’m sharing my top picks for places where you might just bump into that special someone, from cozy coffee shops to lively trivia nights and beyond. We all know the dating apps can be a bit of a joke, so why not try something different, like joining a recreational sports league or volunteering for a cause you care about? Let’s keep the hope alive and explore how to connect with fellow singles in everyday settings—because trust me, love can be found in the most unexpected places!

Check out upcoming singles events hosted by Wioleta at singleandsocial.com.

Suggestions on how to improve this podcast? Email me at [email protected].

Want to send a voice memo regarding an episode's topic? Leave me a voice note at www.allaboutbeingsingle.com.

Want to see additional content? Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thisiswioleta/ or https://www.instagram.com/allaboutbeingsingle/or on Threads https://www.threads.com/@thisiswioleta.

Want to watch this on YouTube? Subscribe to my channel https://www.youtube.com/@AllAboutBeingSingle.

Download the free https://singleminded.gumroad.com/l/huivqv.

Exploring the single life can sometimes feel like navigating a maze—one filled with dead ends, unexpected turns, and the occasional pitfall of overpriced drinks at a bar. Our host, Wioleta, dives deep into this jungle of singleness, sharing her own experiences and insights on where to actually meet potential partners beyond the bustling nightlife scene. She candidly admits that while bars and restaurants are the usual haunts for singles, they aren't the only options. Instead, Wioleta encourages listeners to consider coffee shops as a casual meeting ground, suggesting that making eye contact and engaging with fellow caffeine lovers can lead to opportunities for connection. Who knew a latte could spark romance? Wioleta moves on to trivia nights, pointing out how they provide a laid-back atmosphere to gauge someone’s personality—after all, competitiveness can be a revealing trait! And let’s be honest, nothing breaks the ice like a shared laugh over a wrong answer. She goes on to highlight various other places, like recreational sports leagues and group fitness classes, which can be ideal for meeting fellow singles while having fun and staying active. Wioleta emphasizes that the key is to engage in activities that you genuinely enjoy, which naturally increases the chance of meeting someone compatible. Whether it’s picking up a new sport or joining a yoga class, the focus should be on having a good time, with the bonus of potential romance. As she reflects on these ideas, Wioleta's relaxed tone makes it clear that the journey of finding love doesn’t have to be a chore—it can be an adventure filled with laughter, connection, and maybe even a little bit of unexpected magic along the way.

Takeaways:

• Coffee shops are excellent for meeting singles, but don't just zone out with headphones.
• Trivia nights not only offer fun challenges but also a chance to meet singles in action.
• Joining a recreational sports league can be a fun way to connect with other singles.
• Volunteering at local charities is a rewarding way to meet like-minded individuals who care.

Okay, but where am I supposed to meet someone? Hi, welcome to All About Being Single. Or welcome back if you've been around. I'm your host, Wioleta.

So this is the podcast where we talk about the reality of being single. The good, the bad, the awkward, just the everything in between.

I know a couple of episodes ago, I mentioned how pretty much the only times I'm, like, meeting men is when I go out and about at, like, restaurants or bars and, like, sit at the bar.

And that doesn't guarantee that I meet somebody, but that's just about the only place I ever really either get approached by men or I approach a guy myself.

But I think it's a problem, you know, it's a problem for those of us who a, don't want to be spending so much money going out and, you know, spending money on drinks, especially if you're not drinking. And maybe you just don't want to meet somebody at the bar. And I think the dating apps are garbage, so those are out of the picture.

So this episode, I really wanted to. And some of it is just for me, and some of it is for you, but some of it is for me.

It's just I really want to hold on to the hope that there are people that are single that are going out and about and they're living their lives and that it's possible for us to meet them at other places than bars or, you know, the bar at a restaurant. Let's. Let's try to look at some places that we can meet singles.

I think the number one is just coffee shops, you know, but then the key, of course, is, you know, don't just put your headphones in and open your laptop and just disappear for four hours, you know, like actually, you know, try to make eye contact with people that walk in. And again, none of these places are places I'm saying you're definitely going to run into a bunch of single people at.

But I think in order to have a little bit more hope of being able to meet somebody.

And for those of us like me, where sometimes you lose that hope because you just haven't met anybody that you were even interested in for a long time or anybody that wasn't interested in you or both, I think it's good to hold on to that hope.

I would say maybe trivia nights, you know, so go to some places where people are playing trivia, and some of the people on some of the teams might be single. Right. So, you know, there's. It kind of teaches you a little bit about Them too. You know, are they competitive?

Do they become unbearable when they're wrong? You know, just kind of see how they interact with others.

I would say the third one is recreational sports leagues, and this is one that I definitely need to try out at least one of these days. But, you know, I know pickleball is pretty big lately. There's like a volleyball place right by my house. Softball, kickball, bowling.

Like, you don't have to be an athlete, obviously. Just. Just try out one of those sports leagues, something that obviously interests you. So don't just try something out just to meet people or like.

Well, I shouldn't say just meet people. It's okay to do that with that intention.

But also try to try out something that you think you might like or that you want to see if you like or that you do like. I think those are probably the better options instead of just, like, going to do something that you hate.

Trying to meet people that way, especially, because what if they love that thing and they're going to want to do that thing always?

The fourth one is just group fitness classes, you know, so maybe going to the gym and not just working out by yourself, but maybe, you know, go on doing the CrossFit or yoga or Pilates or running groups even, or cycling or dance or walking groups. Just kind of being a regular somewhere. I think being regular gives you something dating apps can add, which is just familiarity with those people.

The fifth one is volunteering. Maybe animal shelters, a food bank, a community event, some kind of an environmental cleanup or a charity event.

You know, doing something that you believe in and helping at a good cause and maybe hopefully meeting somebody that way. The sixth one is concerts and live music.

And it doesn't have to be big shows sometimes maybe going to, like, smaller shows or local bands or outdoor concerts, music festivals.

I mean, anything, obviously, but just I know that every time I've gone to a concert solo and by every time I say it, like, it's the thing that I do all the time. I don't go to concerts very often, so that's thing number one for me. But thing number two is the two concerts I went to solo.

One was an actual concert, one was a festival. At the concert, I literally ended up sitting next to somebody who was also there by themselves. So we enjoyed the concert together.

And at the festival, I met, like, a bunch of people. So things happen. If you're out and about, there's. Trust me, there's more people out there who are there single or just solo by themselves as well.

Okay. The seventh one. Bookstores or book clubs, I think that that's one that probably a lot of people don't think about.

I think book clubs are particularly good because you're meeting people who already have something in common with you. So again, same idea. Don't just do it just to do it. Do it because you're curious about it.

Or do it if you're already into books and always gives you like a nice. Even just like a bookstore gives you a nice, simple way to approach somebody by hey, what are you reading? Or hey, what are you looking for? 8. Classes.

So take some kind of a class.

And this is something I really want to start doing more of once I'm done with this remodel, which is soon, you guys, because I know I've been complaining about it for months now, but anyhow, classes. So take a class. Maybe cooking or pottery or photography or painting or improv or stand up or language or woodworking.

I mean, just whatever interests you or whatever you want to try out. And if you meet someone there, you might already have a shared interest.

Or they also might be people that like to just try out new things, if that's you. 9. This one is usually good only during the summer, but like farmers markets.

And I don't necessarily know if, like, a lot of men go to farmers markets, so I think this one's more for the men here. You know, if you want to meet a woman, we definitely, especially older women, we definitely do go to farmer's markets, at least some of us.

Number 10, if you have a dog, maybe a dog park, you know, I mean, a simple conversation starter is, you know, how old's your dog? Or what's the breed? Or whatever.

11 Museums and cultural events, you know, so maybe art openings or gallery events or historical tours or architecture tours in your city. And they're especially good because you're doing something rather than just sitting across from someone trying to make conversation.

Number 12, networking events. And I don't mean go to, like, a professional networking event and just start hitting on people. Please don't do that.

But there's plenty of industry events, conferences, alumni events, professional social gatherings where you're just naturally meeting new people. And sometimes the person that you're talking to might not be your person, but they might have a single friend. You never know. 15 Happy hours.

And again, I know I said, you know, it sucks that we have to go to bars and stuff, but, like, maybe go during the week at, like, times when there's fewer people out, so you're more likely to maybe encounter other people who are either out there right after work or maybe by themselves. You know, just sit at the bar and just, you know, or try to find some. Somebody that you think is there by themselves.

So we're gonna do a little dance. You know, I love to dance. I'm not gonna do a note to self this episode, but just dance with me if you're able to. Or just listen to the good beats.

And we'll come back and we'll continue on with our list. I'm gonna give you a few other ones, but just like breweries, I think those usually have like, food trucks and game nights and live music.

So that's already like a chiller atmosphere. A little bit more conducive to meeting somebody. Maybe hiking and walking groups, maybe just join a meetup group, just any kind of social group.

Festivals and street fairs, if your town or city has those. This one's kind of one that most people don't think about, but maybe like taking a class at your local community center.

You know, they do have cooking and art and fitness. Fitness and recreational activities, all kinds of stuff. And even solo travel and just. Or even group trips for singles.

I know those are out and a happening.

If you feel comfortable, maybe a sporting event that you can go to by yourself or obviously take your friends, but just, you know, try to talk to others as well instead of just within yourselves, just by your. Just within your group. I mean, even silly things like, you know, maybe classes that like Home Depot holds, right? So it doesn't have to be.

You can just, you know, think outside the box, basically, or wine tastings, which, again, I think you're usually gonna have couples or women. So again, better for the men. If you're a guy, go to a wine tasting at the end of the day too. You know, create your own social events.

Like when I created the walking club, you know, I was able to meet some cool people, and sometimes I do also go out with those people. So that's. That's something you can make. And if not, at least you'll bring other people together and at least you'll have.

Even just being at that walking club once a week or once a month, whatever the case might be. I think that's helpful too. Create something that you think is lacking. And at the end of the day, obviously we can meet anybody anywhere, right?

The grocery store, the airport, the bookstore, a coffee shop, a museum, just a park, a restaurant, a concert, just standing in line someplace. I mean, at the end of the day, especially if you're Trying to meet somebody, because I used to be pretty guilty of this.

Like, I tend to go everywhere with, like, headphones on. And so I definitely don't look approachable. So I think that's. And I've. I've stepped away from doing that a lot.

Like, nowadays, when I'm out and about, I do usually take my headphones off, and I try to, like, smile at people. I try to kind of see, look around what's around me.

But I think if you put yourself into more environments that are conducive to other people being there, like meetups and singles events, which, by the way, I'm hosting two singles events towards the end of September. If you go To Single and Social.com, you can see what events I have scheduled. So you can try to see if you're around in the Chicago suburbs.

Because for now, I'm just doing them in the Chicago suburbs. Definitely. Feel free to check them out. One is at a brewery. One. It is a. One is at a coffee shop. Check them out. So that's another.

That's another option is just singles only. Specific events like singles mixers, speed dating, those kinds of things. Obviously, you're going to find singles at.

I think what I'm trying to say is never again am I. Well, at least I'm going to try not to say there are no single people out there, because there are. We are everywhere.

There's more of us out there nowadays than before. A lot more people are single.

It's really about, like, putting yourself into those places and environments where you want to meet people at, where you want to meet the caliber of people that you're trying to meet.

Okay, so your glow up, which, you know, is always my favorite part of the episode, is to just think of one place that you really think the kind of people that you want to date might be at. Okay? So just think of one place. I think for me, it's definitely, like, more creative endeavors, you know, so maybe like an improv class, for example.

So think of what your interests are.

Think of, you know, a specific trait that you're looking for in a partner and think of a place where more of those men or women might be at and look up that place and schedule a time to go there. That's all. That's your glow up. I will do the same. I want you to know, as always, even if we're late, we're right on time.

We are living the life that we should be living right now. Thanks so much for listening. If you could please leave me a review I would truly appreciate that.

I really want more people to know what this podcast is about and hear it from not just my voice, but from yours as well.

And please let me know if you have any questions or if you want me to include more or less of something, just any ways in which you think I can improve this podcast so that it's you're taking out as much of it as I am. And overall, I hope that. I hope that this helped you in some kind of way. Again, thanks so much for listening. I'll talk to you next Tuesday. Sam.