When I went to college in 2014, I was stoked to meet the love of my life. Tinder was a thing but Bumble hadn’t quite dropped yet so I was prepared to do it the good-ole-fashioned-way. But, come summer of 2016, I had moved to Austin from Germany and I was ready for all the dating craze, hence my love story beginning with Bumble.

I thought I would meet someone right away, fall in love and have that ring by spring. Spoiler: I did not. I spent three years online. I went on phenomenal dates and in the winter of 2017, I thought I had met my soulmate but it was back to the buzz. I met professional athletes, legislative aids in the Senate and pilots in the Navy. I learned a lot and it all led me to my last (hopefully) swipe in 2019. So, if you’re ready for a condensed self-help book, then continue through this passage.

Let them know you – Setting up a dating app, whether it’s Bumble or Hinge or even The League, invest in it. It’s really worth it! Your bio is the first look at who you are and what you have to offer. Leaving it blank means that you’re blank, and not in a good way. I always used, “Fenway. Baseball. The Office” which is the easiest way to get to know me because it’s my dog, my career and my favorite show. I also always put where I graduated from and the year I graduated.

Hit them with the openers – This was the hardest thing for me to get comfortable with. Messaging first means that you will make your point that you’re genuinely interested in someone. It’s flattering to receive a message from someone and it’ll help you stand out. I always tried to come up with an amazing opener that would make me stand out. For example, when I matched with G on Bumble, I noticed in his picture he was wearing an Hermes belt so I sent “Does the H on your belt stand for Hannah?”

Rebound from rejection – This is part of it and I can confirm it’s the hardest part of it. You may not get a response, you may get ghosted or even get stood up. However, this rejection is almost never personal and I’ve been on both sides of it. As cringy as it may sound, it’s generally lust at first sight and there’s no shame in heading back to the swipes. You never know who the next person may be.

It may not be for you – And that’s okay! Online dating was phenomenal for me because I was young for my career-field, didn’t go to events or church and am highly introverted so I felt extreme comfort behind my phone. Online dating can be exhausting and demoralizing at times. I was trying to find love at first swipe and I learned that I had to be very upfront with my intentions.

In my three years of using dating apps, I spent hours swiping and the return of investment, for me, was worth it because I’ve met my partner, my roommate, my best friend and the person I want to spend forever with.

I’m a Bumble girl and I always have been – it’s been extremely rewarding for me and I’ve met a lot of incredible men that I might not have met otherwise. The right person might be one right-swipe away.