Having a first date and you can choose where to go. So?

@TexChik , sounds like a great memory, sure it must have been a fun one!

@TheGreatGreyGuardian He a an amazing cook

@RileyLandS , I agree but it is kind of a cliche. Cafeteria and a movie after that is not too bad, although it should be the right movie so you can both enjoy it. If it is one of a serious genre, you can easily find a topic for discussion so to see some of the other person's mindset. But in general, totally agree that just a random cinema movie is not a good choice!

@BrewCityBarfly , now this is what I call a real planning!

@Carissimi , to point this straight - even not on a date, but just casually walking through the city I feel extremely uncomfortable among crowds, a lot of people. Feeling something like a pressure because of it. Can not describe it very well, it has always been this way for me. Then I am nervous at dates because they very rarely go good. And when you combine these two in one - voilà! Every public date becomes super stressful event for me where I try my best not to shake, stutter or panick and at the end I barely say a sentence because all my focus is to look after the aforementioned. I had a single date for the last three years and it was a catastrophe. Still can not recover and force myself to another one.

I’m sorry you suffer this way. I’m not keen on crowds either, and avoid them. You find you do better in restaurants? They can be full of people too. My last date was more than 30-years ago with my late husband. Going on a date after all this time, and in this modern culture when men expect hook ups, well, I couldn’t do it. I’ve been alone too long. It would feel alien to me, and stress me out. However, you are very young to be this way, so I hope you can overcome your fears. @TheGreatGreyGuardian

@Carissimi , thank you very much for the kind words, highly appreciate them! Yeah, restaurants are not a great option either, but at some weird times during the day they are fairly uncrowded. It has always been a huge problem to talk with people when they are obviously higher quality than me. And I feel that 97% are superior to me. Trying to manoeuvre somewhat around it, but with no avail honestly...

@Northwest , maybe the culture here is different. It is not uncommon for a first date to not be in public. Actually, I feel like dying a thousand times at any date. And be it in public... only makes my personal experience even worse. Plus, some places are so crowded, you can not have a good conversation and only feel more stressed and pressed by the surrounding people. But maybe it is just me who feels so uncomfortable at public places...

@TheGreatGreyGuardian I don't know where "here" is, but I can't imagine a scenario, where you're meeting someone for the first time, having "met them" online, with no actual background, that would go something like this: "hey, how about dinner at my house. PS: I am sharpening the knives. Can't wait"

@Northwest , actually these are the best dates for me. It just takes off the public humiliation completely and in the worst case scenario the other one immediately says it is better to not begin the date and I can walk back home without anyone knowing about it or messing around.

@DearAmbellina2113 , thought no one would ever choose it among the other options. So wrong am I! Personally, I am extremely nervous at any date, let alone if it happens to be while surrounded by other people.

@TheGreatGreyGuardian Ah, around here the only thing we call "cafeterias" are lunch room in schools. For food on dates we go to restaurants or diners.

@ChipmunkErnie , my English might have made it sound odd, indeed. "Coffee shop" probably would have been a better choice of words... Not native and sometimes I fault at even mundane phrases. Excuse me, was not deliberate.

@TheGreatGreyGuardian No problem. English is my first -- and pretty much only -- language, and i still have problems with it at times. ;)