I’m A Tinderella: I Met My Boyfriend Through Tinder And I Love Him

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For too long now my boyfriend and I have covered the story of how we met with pathetic lies.

“How did you two meet?” my aunt asked, completely unaware, over Easter dinner. My boyfriend and I exchanged panicked glances. Does she know? How? What was our cover again?

“Uh…through a friend,” I explained. The friend cover was a popular story of mine, but I had several prepared in case of the dreaded question.

  • “Our eyes met across a crowded dance floor and we just knew!”
  • “We both ordered the same thing at our favorite coffee shop!”
  • “We were lab partners in school and found we had chemistry both inside and outside of the classroom!”

Keeping up the charade is exhausting. I’m coming out with it once and for all: I met my boyfriend on tinder and our relationship is GREAT.

The (completely not romantic but true) story of how we met

He messaged me on a Sunday night. It went something like this:

Him: Hey chick 🐥

Me: Hey, what’s up?

THAT’S IT. Cue music and the happily ever after.

We chatted some on the app, shared a few mutual interests, and I gave him my number. The next Thursday he asked if I wanted to go get some drinks with him downtown and since I had nothing else to do and was familiar with the area, I agreed. I met him at a gas station (not creepy at all) and we rode together in his mom’s van (also not creepy) downtown.

Let me explain, I live close to downtown and didn’t have any transportation, not to mention it was raining, so I asked if he was willing to pick me up. I realize it sounds like my parents completely forgot to teach me about stranger danger, but I did take some precautions. A friend knew where I was, who I was with, and we had a set time she would call the cops if I didn’t respond. Still creepy, yes, but I’m not completely careless, right?

He was driving his mom’s van because his car was in the shop that week and he had to borrow hers. Looking back, it still seems pretty risky to jump into a strangers van so willingly. I remember thinking at the time, “What am I doing with my life? This is it, I’m going to die in this van.” But there was no turning back, and today, I’m thankful I climbed into that van. We had a great night together, by far the most fun I’ve ever had on a first date.

It’s no fairytale.

I hate the shame that is so commonly associated with people who met through dating apps. A lot of my friends tell me they would never do that. They say they would rather meet people “naturally,” but what truly is “natural” in this day and age? It’s 2015, Tinder seems pretty “natural” to me. To each their own, but I see so many of my friends struggling to meet new people and find someone with similar goals. Tinder seems like a great way to expand your reach with potential matches (literally) and to be straightforward about intentions. My favorite thing about Tinder is that you can be clear up front on what you are looking for in a partner. Also, since you have the ability to communicate with your match via messaging, you can decide for yourself whether they seem worth meeting. That way, if you do choose to meet, you already know some of the things you have in common.

So far I have met only a few people with successful Tinder relationships, but I hope to see that number grow with the increasing popularity of dating apps. If you’ve been having difficulty meeting new people, I highly recommend Tinder! What do you have to lose? Give it a try! Happy swiping!