While not based in Colorado, I had the joy of witnessing the first snowfall of the year in both Frisco and Boulder this year. I grew up in Syracuse, NY, so winter is in my blood, like it or not! Having married a woman from Puerto Rico, this causes some amusing friction. If she’s going out during the winter, I have to give her a great reason! So I’m constantly trying to up my winter dating game. Whether it’s your first date or your one-thousandth date, winter time offers up some amazing and special activities to share.

If You Love The Outdoors

Chances are, if you’re living in gorgeous Colorado, you are an outdoor aficionado. There’s just so much to do and so much beauty to see. One of the things that I love is to be both warm and cold at the same time. I’ll crack a window and snuggle into my covers or have a fall bonfire. But I really love outdoor hot springs in the winter! It makes you appreciate the warmth and if you’re brave, you can roll in the snow and jump back in. Let’s be honest, dating definitely has a large visual component. If you’re going to some hot springs, you get to see each other in a bathing suit, and that can definitely bring everybody’s enjoyment level up! Don’t obsess over what you look like, the other person is there to be with you, not nitpick your body. No matter where you are, from Idaho Springs on the Front Range or down to Durango, you’re never too far. www.colorado.com/co/attractions-entertainment/hot-springs

Keeping Warm

There’s another group of people whose plan for winter is to pack on a few safety pounds, have a pint (or two) and wait for the whole “winter” thing to blow over. I get it, I get it. But that’s a poor reason to not get out. There are still plenty of fun things to do inside that aren’t the dreaded “dinner and a show”-type dates. Socrates said, “You can learn more about a (wo)man in an hour of play than in a lifetime of conversation.” This is why I love activity dates! And the best kind have you go through lots of different emotions. So head out to an arcade for some fun times. Yes, arcades are making a comeback and many offer drinks now, as well. Playing games together and against each other means you can tease each other, help each other, accomplish something together and most importantly, laugh together. Jump on a retro game like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, earn a crappy stuffed animal with your tickets from skee-ball or try out some of the new, high tech games. You’ll have a blast and do something different and it only cost you a fistful of quarters!

Bet You’ve Never Done This

Making new memories is the key to fun first dates and long-lasting relationships. You remember the first time you had sex, got drunk, got a job, skied your first double-black diamond, etc. Any time you do something for the first time, you release serotonin, dopamine and adrenaline, which heighten our emotions. And what are relationships based on? Emotion! So do something you’ve never done before on a date. A fun and unique (and affordable) option is to have an outdoor photoshoot! There are tons of offers on Groupon, Craigslist or from your nearest college (go Buffs!). Go to a park, have a snowball fight, go snowshoeing, and have it all captured on camera. Take totally ironic (or moronic) pictures. Have fun with, it doesn’t have to be serious. I pretty much guarantee that no one will have done this for him or her, so you’ll get to be totally unique!

Whatever it is you’re doing, keep the positive emotions going! Ask them happy, open-ended questions. Share some fun stories from your past without necessarily having to be asked about them. Be goofy, be unexpected, and most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels.

Hunt Ethridge is an award-winning Dating and Relationship Expert.  For more advice or to work with Hunt, go to www.HuntForAdvice.com or email him at Hunt@HuntEthridge.com.