Do you remember the best date you’ve ever been on? Chances are it wasn’t because of fancy gifts or fine dining. No, the greatest dates have a simpler magic.

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All too often we hear people telling their dating horror stories. We hear about the girl who did nothing but talk about herself all night, or the guy that basically stalked you after you told him you weren’t interested. But what about those rare, magical dates that you think back on fondly and remember forever? Those are the ones that give us hope for the future, the ones that reassure us dating isn’t so bad after all.

Here are stories like those; the ones that won’t make you cry yourself to sleep after a carton of ice cream. Although these individuals who went on these memorable dates may no longer be together, they are still important memories to have and experiences to live by!

No one said you can have just one good date.

Tattooed Dude

I had a phase where I was really into the bad boy type, and this guy definitely fit the bill. He was a tattoo artist and was tatted pretty much everywhere on his body, gauged ears, the works. He was one of the sweetest guys I’d ever met. We were a few dates in and it was going well when he invited me to his tattoo shop after hours for dinner. I thought it was weird, but went with it. When I went in, he decorated the lobby with fairy lights and beautiful pictures of his artwork all over. He had candles and made a little picnic lunch that we ate on a blanket on the floor. I ended up moving away, so we didn’t stay together, but I’ll always remember that date. It was so perfectly him.

Young Love

I was still in high school and this was one of my first dates. While most high school dudes would take you to the football game on Friday night and try and get you back to their parents’ couch to make out, this guy was different. He showed up at my door with flowers and respectfully greeted my parents—a big plus in my book. I asked where we were going and he just said, “You’ll see,” and smiled. He ended up taking his truck to the middle of this gorgeous meadow, put a bunch of pillows and blankets in the cab, and we just cuddled and looked at the stars and talked all night until curfew. And yeah, I totally made out with him. He earned it.

Snow Bunny

Where I live, it snows a ton and you tend to get a little bitter about winter. So I was skeptical when a guy wanted to take me hiking in the middle of January. I agreed, and it ended up being one of the most beautiful experiences. I’ve never witnessed the forests around my town in the winter and it gave me a whole new love for where I live. He brought his adorable dog that loves to chase snowballs and that made it even better.

With the Fishes

I moved to the city a few years ago and dating here is tricky. One of the first guys I met lived down the block and asked me out. I didn’t know much about him and it turned out his mother worked at the local aquarium, so we got a behind the scenes tour at night. My favorite animal is a penguin, so I was beyond excited when that ended up being the area where his mom worked and she let us meet a few of them. I’ve never been so ecstatic in my entire life! I don’t know how many times he pulled this move for first dates, but I got to cross something off my bucket list, so it worked out for me.

Workplace Romance

I knew dating in the workplace was a big no-no, but this guy and I flirted heavily for months and he finally asked me out. It was a typical date at first, nice dinner and getting to know each other. He wanted to take me for a walk around the city to show me his favorite spot, so I agreed. I was in one of my best dresses, and he was all dressed up as well, so of course it started pouring. Neither of us had umbrellas, but we ended up having one of the best times running through the city in the rain and laughing with each other. It could’ve been awkward, but ended up being one of the best dates of my life. The workplace thing actually worked out!

See? Not all dates will be bad.

Next time you’re skeptical, take a chance. It might just be the best date you ever had.