Look up the word awkward in the dictionary, and next to it you'll find a photo of a couple frozen in the throes of a first date. From the bailout phone call to the bungling lean in, it's hard to imagine anything but weirdness in those first few hours alone with a prospective partner.
Luckily, there are lots of ways to get to know someone, and sometimes, a little discomfort isn't the worst way to ferret out personality traits in a potential mate. After all, you need to know how they react under pressure, if they have a fear of loud noises, and if they're gonna stick around when things get gross. As Wayne Campbell once said, "If you blow chunks and she comes back, she's yours. But if you spew and she bolts, then it was never meant to be."
Luckily, you're in the wacky wonderland that is Miami, surrounded by ways to get a little weird, wild, or just plain silly on a first date. So forget boring coffee meet-ups or dinner-and-a-movie dates, and try a little creativity. We'll get you started.
5. Laugh till you pee
There are few qualities more important in a prospective partner than a sense of humor. Gauge the length of your date's funny bone with a session at Just the Funny Theater, Miami's own acclaimed improv group. It's a steal at $10 per show. Plus, if she gets pulled on stage, you can test her coolness under pressure. If she laughs so hard she snorts beer out of her nose -- keeper! But if she's squeamish about the sex jokes, well....
4. Fly free
What better way to get to know someone than in the face of a little fear? Get a real rush with a skydiving excursion. It's the best way to boost that adrenaline (unless you're giving it up on the first date, that is). You can usually find group deals for skydives, including at ;Miami Skydiving Center. So go tandem and go down!
3. Gator watch
Join Buffalo Tiger and team for an airboat tour of the Everglades. Let that swamp breeze blow through your hair, spot some funky wildlife, and learn a little about Miccosukee culture from Tiger's team. Where else in the world can you pet a gator on a first date? (No, that is not a euphemism.) Yeah, Florida rocks.
2. Shoot stuff
If your prospective special someone is a homicidal maniac, better to find out now. Throw caution to the wind with a little trip to the gun range for some therapeutic shooting. Besides, the ability to wield a shotgun can tell you a lot about a person, like, will they be a worthy ally in a post-apocalyptic Miami Beach? The Florida Gun Center has 10 shooting stalls for everything from pistols to small rifles.
1. Get erotic
We don't mean physically -- not that we're judging you. But a first-date visit to Miami's one-of-a-kind World Erotic Art Museum (WEAM) is the perfect way to feel out (so to speak) your escort's, ahem, leanings. From stone phalluses that date to the dawn of time to bestiality-inspired cartoon art, WEAM leaves no erotic stone unturned. A little revealing for a first date? Perhaps, but in this day and age, why not get down from the get go?
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