The idea hit me on a Sunday. I was scrolling through profiles on LinkUp when it suddenly struck me:
“What if I set myself up for a real dating marathon?”
For the content, of course. For science. For love, too.
So, I set a goal: 10 dates in 7 days.

Day 1: Kicking off with coffee and awkward pauses
First date — Monday, 10:00 AM, a coffee shop.
She was sweet, but the conversation was dry.
I asked what kind of movies she liked.
She said, “I don’t watch movies.”
We both knew: zero chemistry.
Also, the coffee was cold.

Day 2: A date on the run — literally
She suggested a jog in the park.
I laced up my sneakers, took a deep breath… and quickly realized romance and cardio don’t mix.
After three laps, I was gasping and trying not to die.
She smiled and talked about marathons.
I was dreaming of my couch.

Day 3: Wait, you love memes too?
Third date — at a bar.
Light, fun conversation, tons of shared memes.
We laughed at the same jokes — which is surprisingly rare.
No sparks, but it felt like finding a true comrade.

Day 4: A tour of red flags
This one deserves its own article.
She showed up 40 minutes late, told me she still lives with her ex (“but we’re like brother and sister”), and then asked:
Do you believe in retrograde Mercury?”
I said, “I do now.”

Day 5: The first spark
There it was. Magic.
We met at a library (her idea), and the conversation just flowed — books, music, a bit of philosophy.
As we said goodbye, she asked if we could meet again.
I said, “Most likely, tomorrow.”
Hard to explain, but everything suddenly felt calm and clear.

Day 6: A day of silence (almost)
I postponed my date — I was exhausted and burned out.
Spent the evening with pizza and my phone, rereading chats with the girl from the library.
She was the only one who didn’t feel like social effort.
The others felt like emotional labor.

Days 7 & 8: The final stretch — on autopilot
The last two dates blurred into one big feeling of “meh.”
One was sweet but shallow, the other was a full-on monologue about exes.
I didn’t even want to analyze anymore.
Just smiled and kept thinking about Day 5.

Takeaways (and a little philosophy):
📱 Setting up 10 dates? Easy.
🧠 Processing 10 different personalities in a week? Not so much.
🔥 Chemistry is rare. When it’s there, you know.
😵 Speed dating turns love into labor. Wouldn’t recommend.
Now?

The girl from the library and I have already had a third date.
I’m not rushing anything.
After this marathon, I realized: sometimes one real connection is worth more than ten random encounters.
And if you’re thinking of trying this yourself, boys and girls — see you on LinkUp!