Yes, we absolutely acknowledge that dating during a global pandemic can be quite difficult to navigate! That being said, if you’ve already read part one of our “Quarantine Connections” series, we imagine you’re just as inspired and hopeful as we are by these stories of love. In part two of our series, we celebrate the stories of those who despite these unprecedented times, not only found love, but on many occasions, found themselves. Love really does come out on top. So light a candle, grab a glass of something nourishing, and read on!
“Third Date's The Charm”
Name: Varian (@IssaManOffical) and Nick (@nicholaspeda)
Location: Seattle, WA
What happens when you’ve only been on three dates but then the entire country shuts down due to a global pandemic? Just ask Varian! They met at a gay club the day after Valentine’s Day, and danced all night - little did they know the whole world would quite literally shut down. In the midst of a global crisis and a racial injustice movement, this inspiring couple not only accelerated their understanding of the world, but also their connection to one another.
What was your first date like?
We spent the whole next morning (after meeting) just texting and getting to know each other. I found out that the only time he was going to be available to go on a date was later that day- and I really wanted to see him. However, my closest friends from out of town had come to Seattle to spend Valentine’s weekend with me and they were going to be leaving that night. I really wanted to spend the day with my friends, but I also didn’t want to wait another week to go on a date with this guy, so I literally made him go on a picnic with me and my friends...and we clicked almost immediately and all my friends loved him. We eventually went on a solo date of our own at this cute Mediterranean spot, that’s now our favorite takeout spot and things got pretty steamy almost immediately after.
The pandemic really sped up our relationship. We moved in together after only knowing each other for 8 months. We never got to go on more than three dates before lockdown. We didn’t really get to show each other off to our friend groups. We’re also a interracial gay couple during one of the biggest civil rights movements in history, so we had to have a lot of frank conversations about race, almost immediately. Honestly, I think all of these uncomfortable situations made us a stronger couple. Even if we were to break up, we’ve discussed multiple times that we’d probably still be friends and roommates.
How do you spice things up in this new normal?
Valentine’s weekend will be our first anniversary and his birthday, so we decided to get a private cabin to celebrate! We’ve spent the year so anxious and feeling disheartened by the world that we wanted to spend a weekend alone, with no screens or phones, and instead just really getting in touch with each other’s bodies! Luckily, there hasn’t been a need to spice things up because life has yet to get boring with him, but I’ll definitely be bringing along some toys that weekend to keep it that way!
“Let’s Get Married!”
Name: Ronnie (@jupiterfreyja) and Ollie (@ollieaura_)
Location: Silverdale, OR
Ronnie and Ollie met through mutual friends on Facebook and now they’re MARRIED. We love, love. Although they were initially “wildly attracted” to each other’s looks, this turned into a much deeper connection. Read on for this incredibly inspiring story:
Tell us about your first date!They lived in Washington, I lived in Ohio. We just video chatted a lot until I came to visit over the summer. We mostly sat around with each other, enjoying the company! Also going to the drive in theater and watching the stars after!
How do you spice things up in this new normal?
I actually moved here in July and we got married in September. Things are always spicy between the two of us in every sense of the word! We have noticed that we feel things for each other that we just haven't felt for any others before and it allows both of us to feel super comfortable to try new things!
At first, distance. It's hard enough being apart, but when they're shutting airports down and such, it's even harder!
“The Reconnection”
Name: Gracie (@gracielaboymusic) and Kris
Location: Valencia, Spain & Los Angeles, CA
Gracie and Kris have a history. They met in Valencia, Spain in early 2018, while she was doing her Master’s program. By sheer coincidence, his best friend was in her master’s program (he’s Scottish and lives in Edinburgh)! After dating for over a year, they broke up in late 2019 - she now lives in Los Angeles. After a reconnection during COVID in mid-2020, they’re now happily back together. In fact, she spent 2 months in Scotland quarantining with him! Read on for this international love story!
How was your “first” date?
Our first date after getting back together was virtual!
I could tell he was emotionally mature and was a good communicator. He also was very non-judgmental and incredibly empathetic. He has very beautiful blue eyes :)
What challenges have you faced while dating during these times?
Since he lives in Scotland, we only get to see each other every 2-3 months, and that has been even harder during the pandemic.
How do you spice things up with the distance?
We have continued to have phone sex, as we are used to being a long distance couple. When I went to Scotland for 2 months to quarantine with him I brought lots of lingerie :) We want to buy more toys together!
“Tinder Gold”
Name: Kharrington and Zachary
Location: Shawnee, Kansas
Kharrington had signed up for Tinder Gold because she wanted to see who swiped right on her. We get it. She saw that Zachary swiped on her but they hadn’t matched because it was too late. Discouraged by online dating, she decided to delete the app altogether. We also get it. After a change of heart, Kharrington downloaded Tinder again and lo and behold, there Zachary was! She immediately swiped right, they matched, and all was well in the world. Read on for their near, sliding-doors romance!
What was your first date like?I suggested we watched Gone Girl... He was supposed to come to me, but wasn’t able to, so I had to come to him. It was awkward, and we didn’t even touch at all. It was strictly watching the movie and his reaction to it. After the movie, we talked for a little bit and then hugged goodbye.
How do you spice up your time together in this new normal?
We sext sometimes, but since we both do not go out or interact with anyone outside of our bubble, we do see each other in person quite often (once a week). We try new positions and sometimes new toys and explore different things the other wants to try.
What challenges have you faced during the pandemic?
We don’t go out. We have been in public together like twice. He had an outdoor gig that I filmed and we went to a candy store nearby and got hot chocolate. And then he came with me to recycle my old TV, but never anywhere for too long. Once my brother got COVID and we were both around him and had to quarantine, but both our tests came back negative. Those two weeks without being around each other were hard mostly because of the fear with COVID and the unknown.
We hope you enjoyed these love stories as much as we did! Check out part one of Quarantine Connections for more inspiring tales of romance and connection.
