9 Tips for Picking Up a Vacation Bae
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If you’re lucky enough to spend a semester, a summer, or even a week’s vacay abroad, there is a shitload of stuff to look forward to. There’s the food, the adventures, oh, and the plethora of foreign hotties with accents, am I right?
Tinder is just as popping across the pond as it is in the USA, in fact, I would dare to say that it’s more popping because it’s less hook-up-esque and a little more serious in the way that foreigners aren’t likely to invite you over to Netflix and chill like a broke American dude would. Even if you’re not into Tinder, there are tons of other apps. Or, you could actually attempt to meet someone in person if you’re really crazy.
If you’re going to dive into the foreign waters of dating, there are a couple things you should know.
1. Get A Damn International Phone
I know that international plans are expensive, so don’t buy one, but at least get an international flip phone or SIM card to tide you over. There’s no way you can successfully date abroad without having a working phone. Just think of all the times it’ll take you 20 minutes to find your date in a crowded bar because you don’t have Wifi? Or all the swiping you’re missing out on when you’re on a bus ride with no service?
2. Tinder Is The Standard
No matter what country you’re in, Tinder seems to be the one dating app that has cracked every foreign market. I mean, there’s prob a reason that Tinder’s the app of choice at the Olympics, right? Even though you might associate Tinder with creeps from using it at home, give it a whirl while abroad and see firsthand how different foreign dudes can be.
3. Don’t Get Taken
Yes, Taken was a movie with super quotable Liam Neeson lines, but human trafficking is very real. Especially if you’re naive and in a country where you don’t speak the language. Even if you’ve met up with Tinder randos at home, you should be extra careful when doing it abroad. Always meet somewhere public, don’t go home with anyone on the first night, don’t tell your dates where you stay. Most of all, make sure that someone (preferably someone who’s in the same country as you) knows where you’re going and who you’ll be with. Sending a screenshot of your date’s Tinder profile to a friend is always a good idea.
4. Don’t Try To Assimilate
They matched with you because you’re hot… and because you’re American and they’ve probs heard that American girls are easy. But regardless, there’s no need to try to act a certain way based on whatever country you’re in. Just like you think a dude with a British accent that sips tea is charming, they’ll likely have the hots for your American accent (yes, you do have one) and obsession with the Kardashians.
5. Keep Your Standards High
Not only should you not assimilate, you shouldn’t lower your standards with the thought that it’s going to be harder for you to get dates abroad. It’ll actually be way easier. Being an American girl in a foreign country is like being a walking fetish. Guys will pine for you, which is cool, but you have to be aware that if you bang him he’s prob going to go brag to all his friends about sealing the deal with an American chick.
6. A Creep Is A Creep In Every Language
Sure, there are certainly cultural differences when it comes to pursuing a woman, but use your intuition to know when a dude is being flirty and when a dude is being straight creepy. You shouldn’t ever justify a dude crossing the line just because there’s a language barrier. Tell him “boy, bye” and go find another foreign dick with manners.
7. Always Say Yes To A Cute Tour Guide
There’s nothing wrong with going to a wine bar or out for lunch, but if a dude offers to show you around the city, you should always say yes. Even if he’s not the hottest dude you’ve matched with, a “tour” type date is super low-pressure and non-intimate, plus you’ll get an awesome lesson on the place you’re staying from a local.
8. Pay Extra Attention To Your Date’s Name
If you’re shitty with names in your home country, it’s one thing. If you’re shitty with names abroad, it’s another. When you’re on a date in the US, you can go to the bathroom, check your date’s profile, and see that his name is “Alex” and be good to go. This might not be the case if your date’s name is something more complicated that you don’t know how to pronounce just by reading it out. Sure, you can probs go one date without ever saying his name out loud, but what if the date goes well and you want to see him again? Then you’re kinda fucked.
9. Play The Field
You may be tempted to spend the remainder of your summer with the cute Italian dude from the coffeeshop named Paolo, but don’t commit to one bee until you’ve sampled the whole hive. I’m not saying you need to fuck a dude from every country before committing, but remember that your time abroad is about you exploring the world, not just exploring one dude’s naked body. That’s not to say you can’t find love abroad, but worry more about finding the best croissant in Paris and worry less about finding a husband with a foreign passport.
