Tag Archives: events and adventures seattle

Dating App Experiment

The Dating App Experiment

The Dating App Experiment

As a single staff member of one of the Events & Adventures clubhouses, I decided to do a bit of an experiment with myself. Like a lot of people, I’m a dating app user; as a person dating in the 21st century it often feels like there aren’t many other options. As a simultaneous member of Events & Adventures, I started to compare and contrast my experiences with my online relationships and the ones I was seeing develop at Events & Adventures.

I’ve been on the classic apps like Tinder and Bumble and have tried some of the more obscure apps like Hinge and Coffee Meets Bagel. They each have different layouts and specialties that make them seem like lights at the end of a tunnel filled with fellow singles. In the end, each app seems to turn out to have a similar end: possible dates and little connection.

 

The Findings

Dating apps turned the very real and emotional experience of dating into a very numb and robotic game. I’ve found myself mindlessly swiping through people without even looking at them. The sensation of matching with someone seems to create more of an endorphin boost than an actual opportunity for a true connection.

I’ll never forget when I matched with a guy and mentioned meeting up for dinner with him pretty quickly, trying to bypass the small talk and make something out of a match that seemed promising. He agreed, we set a time and location. The next morning, he was gone. He deleted our match and seeing as that was the only form of contact I had with him, there was no way of getting in touch to see what happened.

The experience stung, but a part of me accepted it because we hadn’t even met. How could I hold this guy accountable when he was only a picture on a screen?

I’ve gone on my fair share of actual dates through these apps too. I’ve even been in short-term relationships with some of the men I’ve meet. The large majority of the time the connection I thought I had with these guys online didn’t come through in person. If we did actually have something in common, there seemed to be a pressure to put a definition on whatever we had right away, which ended up scaring one of us away. When you make dating the primary focus of any activity, there’s an expectation of trust and vulnerability almost instantly. How can you put that kind of pressure on someone you barely know?

Having heard friends express similar frustrations, I know I’m not alone in my dating app woes. I even hear us wondering aloud if there is something wrong with us because of our lack of success.

 

The Solution

Having experienced Events & Adventures for the last six months, I honestly believe it’s not us but the online dating system that’s to blame. Unlike the forced nature of online dating, Events & Adventures creates an organic environment for members to have fun being themselves.

Are you filled with random facts or a board game connoisseur? You can guarantee there’s a trivia or game night coming up with Events & Adventures. More of a sports fan? Every club has at least one viewing party or pickup game on the books. Are you a whitewater rafting, bungee jumping, or adrenaline junkie—or do you want to be? Events & Adventures has you covered there, too.

And the best part? Other people are doing all of these things with you. You’ll be able to build connections with people that have similar interests and have the opportunity to see these same people on a weekly, or even daily basis, without having to plan the get togethers yourself.

All of the romantic relationships I’ve seen develop between Events & Adventures members have come out of the weeks and months they have spent together at Events & Adventures events. When people have the chance to develop friendships, those friendships turn into trust, and that trust can very easily blossom into something more substantial like commitment and love.

Our members have the chance to cultivate relationships with each other without having to worry about defining their experiences, romantic or otherwise, because that’s not what Events & Adventures is about. Our goal is to help people live a life they love, and that definition is different for everyone.

As a self-proclaimed wallflower, I’ve really had the chance to soak up all of the wonderful benefits Events & Adventures provides its members. In a world so fueled by instant gratification, Events & Adventures slows things down and gives its members the change to enjoy their lives with friends, new and old. So why keep staring at a dating app filled with what-ifs and maybes and come have some promised fun with Events and Adventures? You never know where it might lead until you give it a try!

rock climbing with Events & Adventures

Rock Climbing with Events & Adventures Seattle

Seattle, if you haven’t already heard, is notorious for its rain. While there certainly isn’t a torrential downpour every day of the year, you can count on about nine months of grey and hazy days with a kind of misty cocktail that permeates the air.  If this sounds like a recipe for warm slippers and Netflix-and-chill on your couch, then you won’t be surprised to hear it can be tough to stay active during the Seattle winter months! Gym life isn’t for everyone, and we sometimes struggle to find fun outdoor activities when the weather combats us. Thankfully, Events & Adventures is great at finding unusual events happening all around us, like indoor rock climbing, which get us off the couch and out the door!

Recently, the members of Events & Adventures Seattle had a blast at indoor rock climbing.

It is not as death-defying as it sounds and can be friendly to climbers of levels of experience!  To get started, we simply had to follow the colored path of hand-holds that signifies the difficulty level; for example, yellow is for beginners and blue is for expert. All the harnesses and gear were provided by our great partner REI, along with their knowledgeable and encouraging instructor!

After our success with rock climbing we decided to branch out into the unknown and try paddleboard yoga! You may have heard of hot yoga, or even yoga and beer events, but paddleboard yoga is something altogether new and exciting. Just like it sounds, you practice yoga while on a paddleboard floating on a heated pool! A yogi master will actually anchor your board in the pool before yoga begins so that people don’t float into one another.

Sometimes we Seattleites have to be creative in order to stay active, but Events & Adventures makes it so fun and easy for you; they do all the planning, you just show up and have a great time. Members are virtually guaranteed to meet tons of fun and interesting people, and you will virtually always try something new. Join the club and we will see you there!

Bald Eagle Float Trip with Events & Adventures

Bald Eagle Float Trip with Events & Adventures

Recently, the members of Events & Adventures Seattle got to experience an amazing event that truly showcased the natural beauty we get to enjoy and appreciate here in the Pacific Northwest!  The Events & Adventures Bald Eagle Float Trip was a wonderful opportunity to brave the elements and immerse ourselves in this picturesque natural environment.  Members of the Seattle club were tremendously excited for chance to catch our national symbol in its own world!

Bundled up in lots of layers, we trekked into the January cold and were rewarded with gorgeous views of the Skagit River Valley and the bald eagles that migrate there each winter.  They call the valley home for several months of the year after migrating south.  There is also a sanctuary in the valley that presents a safe area for both the birds and the researchers that are studying them.  It was amazing how much we learned about the bald eagle and its life in Washington, all while experiencing the native beauty of their habitat.

All the members were thrilled with our bald eagle float trip.

Though seeing a bald eagle in our area isn’t unheard of, it is great to see them in their natural environment.  We are looking forward to more fun outdoor events, especially as we begin to transition into spring.  In February, we will be hosting a volunteer tree planting, which will provide our members with a to give back a little something to that Pacific Northwest green that we all know and love so much!  The Adopt-a-Stream Foundation is partnering with Events & Adventures for a fun, rewarding experience where we can walk away with chilly fingers and warm hearts.  If you haven’t already checked out our upcoming Seattle events, be sure to do so soon and snag a seat (or a shovel!) while you can!

Looks Like Our Seahawk’s Can’t Be Beat!

Seattle Seahawks

It’s amazing how empty the streets are in and around Seattle when the Seahawks are playing. With their great winning streak everyone wants to see them play, our club included. We will be doing Seahawks viewing parties all around town. The last one was at “The Spot off main” and there were plenty of times you could not hear the commentary when the room was roaring.

We also hiked up the Cal Magnusson trail to Pinnacle Peak. It’s one of the most popular hikes in the Enumclaw area. A one-mile long forested trail climbs 1000-vertical feet to the top of the 1800-foot geological knob. Once we got to the top, we saw outcroppings of columnar basalt, the old footings of an old fire lookout and best of all, a spectacular view of Mt Rainier and the White River valley.

You may have been exhausted after our Self defense class like most of us, but you would have came away with a number of techniques and moves. It was great to have Martial Arts experts take us though all the moves and I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels a little more comfortable with what life could throw at you. Thanks Lee’s Martial Arts!

Curtis Event Manager Seattle

Have You Ever Seen A Tow Truck In The Shape Of A Huge Toe?

Did you know UPS started in Seattle in 1907? Ever wanted to walk on the “Set” of the TV show Frasier?
The Club took a fun walking tour of MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry) and saw all that and some lot’s more.  We found a kickin museum that is filled with really fun stuff. Some museums are stuffy and can be boring …not this one. There was a tow truck company in Seattle that had a few trucks made up in the shape of  big foot with toes and MOHIA has one and an old model T truck from the turn of the century with the UPS logo on it. We had a fun time wondering around and got to see props from the TV show Frasier, (That was supposed to be filmed in Seattle).

We also had a big Eastside Mingle at a fun place called Earl’s. We took over a bunch of tables and booths, they were very nice to us and it was fun mingling.

Curtis Event Manager Seattle

Every wonder what it would be like to be up on the Big Stage?

I have been to shows at the Paramount Theater in Seattle and wondered what it would be like to look out from the stage into that huge theater. I’m guessing that like me most of you have never been up on that big of a stage, let alone back stage or in the dressing rooms. Well last weekend that’s just what we did. We took a tour of the Paramount and went through what seemed like every inch. Back stage, on stage, dressing rooms, high above the stage and maybe a few extra spots folks don’t normally get tours in. It was fun to see where the stars I have seen perform have walked around and hung out before and after their performance.

Also this weekend we hiked up Lime Kilm trail. We definitely lucked out on the weather. While the weekend was not always great weather wise it was nice for us. The trail takes you through what was an old mining town (I know it sounds like Scooby Doo adventure) The town is long gone but there still is bits and old parts here and there if you look for it and that was really enjoyable. I’m very glad our club hikes all year round.

Curtis Event Manager Seattle

Nothing tops an E&A Halloween Party!

We had ours in one of the best spots… under the glow of the Space Needle at The Pacific Science Center’s Dinosaur Room.  It was really neat to have the party and dance floor next to these big animatronic moving dinosaurs.   Members really pulled out all the stops and went wild with their costumes. We had all sorts of ghosts and ghouls and creatures of all kinds, both sexy and scary costumes.  Freddy Krueger won scariest costume. Funniest costume was this squirrel guy and another person won for her costume of a huge Hershey’s Kiss!   I had on a Cop uniform and many members thought I was a real cop went they first walked in. “I’m just here to Serve & Protect”  J  

I’m shocked that the next morning we had 19 members signed up for a hike up by Hoodsport (the Cooper Creek Trail). I guess you just can’t stop our members. But I must admit it looks like it was a good hike.

We also did our Dark & Mysterious Wine tasting yesterday and that was a fun event. The owners of this great wine shop open up their shop for a private tasting just for E&A, they put out meats and cheeses and other delights for pairing with the wines. It’s informative but it’s also very social and the owners give us a discount on any bottles in the house when we are done ….I must admit I ended up buying a bottle to take home for the holidays.

Curtis Event Manager Seattle

Oktoberfest, Bowling and Skydiving!

What a fun weekend, sure every weekend we have lots of fun things but some weekends the stars just seem to align. We started off the weekend with bowling.  I know on paper bowling may sound just ok, but it gets really fun when you have a big bunch of friends altogether and everyone is eating pizza and having a goodtime. We all cheered when one of us would get a strike and joked when we got gutter balls (which happened more than we all wanted).   It was also a Members Meeting and it was great to hear the feedback from everyone about what folks might want to do for the upcoming snow season as well as other activities or performances everyone is excited about … Nutcracker, Spamalot, overnight events and others.

Saturday we met at the club house in Bellevue bright and early for coffee and donuts (some of us eating more donuts than I should have) and hopping on the party bus to The Leavenworth Oktoberfest.  Yes that is me in lederhosen!  And yes that is a yodeling pickle in my pocket.  (I’m not sure why … It just seemed like the thing to have).  It’s so true there is no better Oktoberfest this side of Germany than the Leavenworth Oktoberfest. We left Bellevue around 10AM and didn’t get back till about 10PM

Can you believe that a few members that went on the party bus got up the next morning at made it to the Federal Way park-n-ride by 8:30AM to go SKYDIVING!   We had around 10 members carpool down to Toledo WA. And jump out of a plane.    So in hindsight I think it is true that Bowling + Oktoberfest Party Bus & Skydiving will make a great weekend.

Curtis Event Manager Seattle

CycleSaloon in Seattle!

 It was so much fun on the “CycleSaloon” event we did last Friday!

Just try to imagine 16 folks pedaling this crazy thing down the streets of Ballard (or just look at this picture).  Yes! we all pedaled this to 3 local hot spots in the Ballard area, Stopping and running in for a drink or a quick rest and then pedaling off to the next stop. And the Driver gave us an  bounce and added another stop at the last moment. It was not as hard as it might look when everyone is pedaling.  Fun Fact: So apparently these 16 person bike thingies started in Amsterdam and became a big hit in many of the flat cities in Europe.   Flat because you really don’t want to try moving these up hills, though going down hills would be just fine. Tracy (The owner of Cyclesaloon) brought two of them to Seattle a short time ago and says she’s been very busy and everyone had a good time, We sure did!

Rolling with the punches

Some folks have asked if the Government Shutdown have impacted us. Well we had planned to go on a hike to the Mt. Rainer National Park this last Saturday, but with the park closed we had to roll with the punches and move to another location for our hike. We picked another hike also in the south end. In a State park “Dash Point”.  We actually start just outside the park and to come into the eastern end of the parks trails. This gave us a great start through some wooden ravines and crossing back and forth over a wonderful smaller creek before finally bringing us out to the Puget Sound.  It turned out to be a really nice day for a hike.

It’s odd. Even with all the fun events coming up in the rest of this month like: Bowling, Oktoberfest party bus, Skydiving and The flashlight Corn Maze I can’t stop thinking about the main event of the season…  E&A’s Awesome Rockin’ Halloween Party on the 26th.  I’m not going to give away the costume I’m planning on wearing, but I can say the lederhosen I’m wearing for the Oktoberfest Party Bus will not be making a repeat performance at the Halloween party.

Curtis Event Manager Seattle

Cool Seattle History!

 Our Sept. Calendar has been packed with some really fun events.

It was a lot of fun doing a ghost tour in downtown Seattle on Friday the 13th . I found out about a  lot of cool historical facts of old Seattle and some scandalous stuff as well that happened where I walk every day.  We got to take a boat over to Blake Island and experience Tillicum Village (The Native American meal and show ) The baked Salmon was wonderful! I guess you could say we had a lot of fun enjoying Seattle History recently (if only school was this much fun).

But you can only linger so long in the past. Coming up it’s time to dust off your lederhosen as we have a reserved section at the 2nd Renton Oktoberfest on Sept 27th .  This event is being put on Renton’s own Berliner Bar – the best beer hall in all of the Seattle area.

Looking for a more adrenaline filled event, Maybe skydiving is something you need to check off your bucket list. We are hitting that on the 28th of Sept. And here a little fun fact – The picture that is on the description for the skydiving event is ME! You can get your picture taken (or a DVD) while skydiving too.

Check out the October Calendar and all the upcoming fun events.

Later folks.

Curtis Event Manager Seattle