I Tried Tinder Passport During Quarantine And It Gave Me A *Huge* Ego Boost

Let's face it: Dating during a pandemic can be so, so difficult. I mean for starters, physically going out to meet people already poses some risks. Aside from being in a place with someone you're totally unfamiliar with, there's also that bit where you're actually exposing yourself to the coronavirus. (Yikes.)

But hey, don't let this bring you down. Just because there's a pandemic doesn't mean you should already give up on relationships. There's actually one option you can try, and that's online dating. Since the start of the quarantine, people have been more open (and have had more time) to check out apps like Tinder and Bumble. Some even decided to ~explore~ a little further and try their luck at finding matches from a different country. Cosmopolitan spoke to two Pinays who tried Tinder Passport while in quarantine. From discussing politics to sharing Spotify playlists, read on to know more about their experiences in talking to guys who are halfway around the world. 

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Andi, 25

I tried Tinder Passport when it was being offered for free back in April 2020. I think it was a phase and just like most of my teenage angst, I'm glad it's something I'm over and done with. FYI, I didn't date here in the Philippines prior to using it. The only experience I had of dating were two (pretty wholesome, if I may say so myself) Tinder dates I went on abroad  because of a dare right before lockdown started.

First of all, guys abroad are so good looking. I remember thinking those in Lisbon, Portugal and Marbella, Spain were so gwapo (*heart eyes emoji galore*) and it was the men from Italy who were more engaging in convos. I honestly got better results "swiping abroad" than here and it was an ego boost. But tbh, I admit that I wasn't in the best mental/psychological state then cause of my own quarter life crisis amidst a global pandemic. I feel like I was just developing the need to receive affirmation from (foreign) men, which also goes against my belief of wanting to be a strong independent woman who don't need no man. And that's why I didn't actually want to continue using dating apps, lol.

I honestly got better results "swiping abroad" than here and it was an ego boost.

But month of swiping did get boring and I remember just using it as a means to pass time rather than to actually meet new people ('cause let's be real, there's a pandemic so everyone needed to stay the hell away from me).

There are a few memorable convos that stood out. I remember talking to one of the guys I went out with abroad and when he checked out Passport, a common thing he noticed in Pinays is how so many girls around my age had braces. Another was matching with a guy in Argentina, who I still talk to today on a very platonic level. It's a common thing for people on dating apps, more so during the pandemic, to say that they're on the app to date and not have pen pals, but here we are fully acknowledging us being friends minus the snail mail. I guess what's interesting about this friendship is that him being from a whole other culture means getting another perspective about things ranging from politics and religion to love and relationships. We even go into very detailed discussions about COVID-19 responses of different countries and our mutual love for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Argentina boy is a hardcore Libertarian, while I'd like to classify myself as a left liberal who believes in a higher being. All of our conversations have been very open-minded to the other person's opinion and if we're really at odds, we agree to disagree. This kind of relationship also gives me some hope that we can have decent conversations with people we barely even know. 

Him being from a whole other culture means getting another perspective about things ranging from politics and religion to love and relationships. 

Honestly, overall I think it's an experience but I wouldn't want to pay for it, haha! It did however encourage me to go on dates abroad in the future. I didn't get into a relationship from trying Tinder Passport, but I did get a pen pal. This cultural exchange is okay for me 'cause I'm fine with not dating as it's really time to focus on myself. At least I don't feel like I'm missing out and my curiosity has been sated.

SHUTTERSTOCK

B, 25

Though I prefer meeting guys on Bumble, I of course jumped on Tinder Passport right away when users were given free access to the feature for a month. This was during the start of the lockdown last year, and it was the app's small initiative in keeping everyone sane during quarantine. Also, it's more popular in Europe and I knew my ~market~, haha!

So last April, I went on a Spain tour via Tinder passport. I've always been into Spanish culture having traveled there often with family, eventually studying there for a summer with a program at my university, and completing a minor in Spanish. I was keen on practicing the language in real life (well, online) conversations with cute boys— especially since I felt I was forgetting a lot of what I learned, having no one to practice with here in Manila.

When I put my location settings to Madrid and Valencia, I was overwhelmed with all the swipe rights I was giving away! So many guys were my type (physically), that I'd have the hardest time swiping for in Manila. When the matches kept coming, it was of course a lot of fun (and a huge ego boost, lol). It wasn't hard to start conversations with these new people since we all had a common denominator at the time: the worldwide pandemic. We would basically talk about how drastically our lives had changed, and how each of our countries were doing and dealing with it. I had two matches who I really vibed with and enjoyed talking to, so we moved to Instagram to chat and send voice notes.

One of my matches was this scientist doing research for COVID-19 vaccines! It was super cool to chat with him since he was intelligent and fluent in English too, so I was comfortable talking to him in both languages. He'd actually been to the Philippines before and is well traveled, so we had loads to talk about! We're still Insta-friends now, just watching each others stories and liking each others posts.

The other match I had was one of the sweetest! He worked for an NGO in Spain and was a musician at the same time. We had that in common since I love music and I love to sing as well! He would send me the songs he wrote and recorded in this small recording booth he had in his apartment. We'd send a lot of voice notes singing and talking about the most random stuff! I got so kilig when he made me a playlist of his favorite Spanish songs. I've always liked reggaeton, but he educated me on classic Spanish songs and artists. We used to talk almost every day but not as much now since things started getting busy again and we both started doing our own thing. We do catch up every once in a while when we reply to each others' IG stories though, which is great!

What I love about swiping abroad is that they're completely new people, unlike here wherein everyone is *somehow* connected or knows someone from your circle. There are a lot less pre-conceptions about one another and you really get to know each other based on your convos, not based on "what school you went to" or "who your mutuals are." It’s also a lot more interesting to me since the convos are always completely unexpected, and you learn so much about other cultures!

There are a lot less pre-conceptions about one another and you really get to know each other based on your convos, not based on "what school you went to" or "who your mutuals are."

If given the chance, I would definitely try it again! I love talking to new people from different cultures since it really shifts your perspective in life and on the world. I think all single girls should try this at least once— pick any city in the world and just meet someone cute! Also, it doesn't hurt to make new friends everywhere. Who knows, they could be your tour guide when you visit that place someday!

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Source: Cosmo PH