Camping trip conundrum! (loooong)
21 Aug 2008, 4:36 pm
So I'm part of this Outdoor Meetup group, and meet I did. I met a few interesting people at socials and at event planning meetings. But seeing as this meetup group specializes in outdoor acitvities, that's where most of the meeting up must be done. Now this was all well and good when it was simple activites like hiking or snowboarding or kickball, I could be like "Ooh, a couple hot chick RSVP'd for this event, I shall go to!" But for the next month and a half, the group is doing hardcore camping and backpacking trips across the state. So I'm really gonna have to see if my adventuresome and desperation aspects of my personality win over my lazy, simpleness-loving, and frugal aspects.
So here's the line up.
Girl A: Actually happened upon her on okcupid and recognized her pic from the meetup group site. Tried messaging there, no response. Saw her at one social, but didn't meet her because I was focused on my last big interest. Tried friending her on Facebook because we had a lot of the same friends and were both in the Facebook version of the meetup group, no acceptance. (and I know she's active on both these sites) So I think, whatever.
But at the planning event for Camping Trip 3 that was on August 3, she went and introduced herself to me. And when we were at the planning table and people were asked to make room, she moved her chair closer to me instead of away to make space for the other guy. Also, at another social event, we talked a little about auroras, the camping trip, and excuses to give when you're out of a job, though it was more like group talk than one on one. My only guess is that she doesn't know I'm the same guy from okcupid/facebook.
Pros: Same age as me. Is currently looking (according to okcupid), is a reliable showupper to meetup events, is good friends with the organizer (who I think thinks positively of me, so she would probably trust his judgement)
Cons: Does not like my internet version, looks are closer to that of the goofy redhead than the sexy redhead.
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Girl B: Saw her on a ski trip (at which I did no skiing) last January, and never saw her again. But at the previously mentioned social I talked to one of her friends within the group. So on Facebook the organizer who is my friend friended her, so I friended her, and then she friended Girl B, and later I took a chance and friended her, which was suprisingly successful.
So I messaged her and we talked about Edgewood college, turns out she graduated college 10 years before me, and she was listed in a relationship, so I figure "Oh wells". But at the aforementioned Camping Trip 3 planning meeting she formally introduced herself to me, but since I had to skip out early to go canoeing with the friend zoner, I messaged her later asking if I missed anything at the meeting, and if her bf was a big hiker. And she message me bad with more info about the trip, telling me that I should go, but giving more details about her bf, so again i figure "Oh wells".
But then a few days later I see her info go from "in a relationship" to "single", so I sent a message symathizing with sucky break ups, and regretting having brought him up when those things must have been going on. And she messaged back about how they both knew the signs were there for awhile, and so on, and how she's moving on and stuff. But she's been in Washington D.C. lately, so no news updates there.
Pros: Judging from pics of last trips, she looks like she'd be fun to camp with, and we've established a rapport, at least through facebook messages, and she's encouraging me to go.
Cons: Even though she's not in a relationship, she's still fresh in the recovery period, and who knows HTH long that's gonna take. Plus, she's older than me, which I don't really mind, but the woman usually does.
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Girl C: Met her at another social a couple days ago, so this section should be quicker. She came along with what I would guess would be her best friend, judging from their exclucivitly jabbering behavior. Luckily when her friend was talking to some other guy, she would turn to talk to me. So we introduced ourselves and go to talking Turns out she was there for the Trip 2 planning meeting, which was happening that night too. And we were talking about my trying to decide which camping trip to go on, and she encouraged to go on this one. So the real planning event had started and she went inside from the social event, but I decided to go in to check it out. But I dunno if she saw me come in, as I was kind of outside the circle from coming in so late, plus, she was talking so some other guy a bit too. But some other girl came in and hugged him, so hopefully him and Girl C won't be going anywhere. But sadly, after the formal planning was over, she and her friend left rather swiftly, so there was no more time to chat.
Pros: Has a looks advantage over the other two IMO. Is theoretically close to my age. We've had the most RL conversational experience of the three. And she's singed up for two trips, which gives me a little room to work with.
Cons: Not as much conversation towards the end of the night. I don't know if she's a reliable showupper, and her best friend might be a liability, cause I imagine they'll just talk to each other the whole time if her friend isn't distracted. And she seems like the ****blocker type, taking her friend from the event early and all that. Also I don't know what her current relationship status.
okay, now for the trips. Keep in mind I haven't camped in 12 years, so I'm a total novice and I'd have to buy all new gear. And i have yet to test my wilderness survival skills.
Trip 1: Camping at the asst. organizer's huge farm in Minnesota (I'm in Wisconsin). August 29- Sept. 1. Fortunately there's no cost. (of course, there's still paying for camping equipment, gas, food et all). Girl C is listed as a maybe, which is hard to work with, but her firend isn't listed, so I wouldn't have to compete with her for C's attention.
Trip 2: Boundary Waters trip to Minnesota/Canada border (I'm at the Wisconsin/Illinois border). Goes from September 9-14th. Food and some other equipment is prepaid, but for some reason it costs $300!! Girl C is assured to go, but so is her friend. Group is small with 8 people. I did get on to there from a waiting list, so the org. wants to know by tomorrow whether I'm going or not, which doesn't let me use Trip 1 as a test to see how things go with Girl C.
Trip 3. A hiking and camping trip to the Porcupine mountains near Wisconsin's Lake Superior. Goes from September 18 through 21. Not sure about cost (besides food, equipment, gas and all), Girl A and B are assured to go. And there is another planning meeting on Sept. 7, which might be another get-to-know-you-before-I-commit-on-the-trip opportunity. But I don't know if they are going to that, because last I heard Girl A was in Chicago, and Girl B was in Washington D.C.
Damn, that took more than an hour to write. Kudos if you read through that and feel like giving advice on whether it'd be wise to make big camping trip commitments to women I don't even know that well yet.
_________________
"I reject your reality, and substitute my own" -Adam Savage
21 Aug 2008, 4:49 pm
So here's the line up.
Girl A: Actually happened upon her on okcupid and recognized her pic from the meetup group site. Tried messaging there, no response. Saw her at one social, but didn't meet her because I was focused on my last big interest. Tried friending her on Facebook because we had a lot of the same friends and were both in the Facebook version of the meetup group, no acceptance. (and I know she's active on both these sites) So I think, whatever.
But at the planning event for Camping Trip 3 that was on August 3, she went and introduced herself to me. And when we were at the planning table and people were asked to make room, she moved her chair closer to me instead of away to make space for the other guy. Also, at another social event, we talked a little about auroras, the camping trip, and excuses to give when you're out of a job, though it was more like group talk than one on one. My only guess is that she doesn't know I'm the same guy from okcupid/facebook.
Pros: Same age as me. Is currently looking (according to okcupid), is a reliable showupper to meetup events, is good friends with the organizer (who I think thinks positively of me, so she would probably trust his judgement)
Cons: Does not like my internet version, looks are closer to that of the goofy redhead than the sexy redhead.
---
Girl B: Saw her on a ski trip (at which I did no skiing) last January, and never saw her again. But at the previously mentioned social I talked to one of her friends within the group. So on Facebook the organizer who is my friend friended her, so I friended her, and then she friended Girl B, and later I took a chance and friended her, which was suprisingly successful.
So I messaged her and we talked about Edgewood college, turns out she graduated college 10 years before me, and she was listed in a relationship, so I figure "Oh wells". But at the aforementioned Camping Trip 3 planning meeting she formally introduced herself to me, but since I had to skip out early to go canoeing with the friend zoner, I messaged her later asking if I missed anything at the meeting, and if her bf was a big hiker. And she message me bad with more info about the trip, telling me that I should go, but giving more details about her bf, so again i figure "Oh wells".
But then a few days later I see her info go from "in a relationship" to "single", so I sent a message symathizing with sucky break ups, and regretting having brought him up when those things must have been going on. And she messaged back about how they both knew the signs were there for awhile, and so on, and how she's moving on and stuff. But she's been in Washington D.C. lately, so no news updates there.
Pros: Judging from pics of last trips, she looks like she'd be fun to camp with, and we've established a rapport, at least through facebook messages, and she's encouraging me to go.
Cons: Even though she's not in a relationship, she's still fresh in the recovery period, and who knows HTH long that's gonna take. Plus, she's older than me, which I don't really mind, but the woman usually does.
---
Girl C: Met her at another social a couple days ago, so this section should be quicker. She came along with what I would guess would be her best friend, judging from their exclucivitly jabbering behavior. Luckily when her friend was talking to some other guy, she would turn to talk to me. So we introduced ourselves and go to talking Turns out she was there for the Trip 2 planning meeting, which was happening that night too. And we were talking about my trying to decide which camping trip to go on, and she encouraged to go on this one. So the real planning event had started and she went inside from the social event, but I decided to go in to check it out. But I dunno if she saw me come in, as I was kind of outside the circle from coming in so late, plus, she was talking so some other guy a bit too. But some other girl came in and hugged him, so hopefully him and Girl C won't be going anywhere. But sadly, after the formal planning was over, she and her friend left rather swiftly, so there was no more time to chat.
Pros: Has a looks advantage over the other two IMO. Is theoretically close to my age. We've had the most RL conversational experience of the three. And she's singed up for two trips, which gives me a little room to work with.
Cons: Not as much conversation towards the end of the night. I don't know if she's a reliable showupper, and her best friend might be a liability, cause I imagine they'll just talk to each other the whole time if her friend isn't distracted. And she seems like the ****blocker type, taking her friend from the event early and all that. Also I don't know what her current relationship status.
okay, now for the trips. Keep in mind I haven't camped in 12 years, so I'm a total novice and I'd have to buy all new gear. And i have yet to test my wilderness survival skills.
Trip 1: Camping at the asst. organizer's huge farm in Minnesota (I'm in Wisconsin). August 29- Sept. 1. Fortunately there's no cost. (of course, there's still paying for camping equipment, gas, food et all). Girl C is listed as a maybe, which is hard to work with, but her firend isn't listed, so I wouldn't have to compete with her for C's attention.
Trip 2: Boundary Waters trip to Minnesota/Canada border (I'm at the Wisconsin/Illinois border). Goes from September 9-14th. Food and some other equipment is prepaid, but for some reason it costs $300!! Girl C is assured to go, but so is her friend. Group is small with 8 people. I did get on to there from a waiting list, so the org. wants to know by tomorrow whether I'm going or not, which doesn't let me use Trip 1 as a test to see how things go with Girl C.
Trip 3. A hiking and camping trip to the Porcupine mountains near Wisconsin's Lake Superior. Goes from September 18 through 21. Not sure about cost (besides food, equipment, gas and all), Girl A and B are assured to go. And there is another planning meeting on Sept. 7, which might be another get-to-know-you-before-I-commit-on-the-trip opportunity. But I don't know if they are going to that, because last I heard Girl A was in Chicago, and Girl B was in Washington D.C.
Damn, that took more than an hour to write. Kudos if you read through that and feel like giving advice on whether it'd be wise to make big camping trip commitments to women I don't even know that well yet.
so the problem is what?
_________________
I want peace for all. Simple yet elegant.
21 Aug 2008, 10:25 pm
Don't spend more $$ than you can afford. Don't go on a trip you would not want to go on otherwise.
None of these women have done more than chat with you in a casual way. There is no telling at all if they have been or will be interested in you romantically.
If you want to go, go, but don't count on getting a girlfriend out of any of the trips.
Those are my thoughts.
Oh, and just because a girl leaves early with her friend does not make either one a 'blocker'. Maybe they had somewhere else to be.
