It’s probably Valentine’s Day or perhaps ski season (more on that separately) that puts me in a love frame of mind. And while there are so many expressions of love, there’s nothing like the love between two people. So this month at Galavante, we’re dedicating February to all the places where you might meet your +1. Or just as importantly, keep it going with that person who is special to you. I know, it’s different from other Valentine’s Days where I’ve talked about love for friends, children, family, and pretty much every other love except that love for a significant other. It must be the hopeful romantic in me.

Happiness is a Vibe

Let me first start out by saying that no one other person is going to ever be the only factor in our lives to find our happiness (whatever that is). The responsibility for happiness lies within us, and when that is in place, the rest follows. Part of why I love to travel is: the study of people has always been fascinating to me. What I’ve noticed is that those who realize that we’re in our own lanes in life, and it’s not a comparison with others, give off an energy. I think that’s the foundation that opens up the opportunities, and attracts others to us. So yes, I think happiness is a vibe, and it’s a key to finding love.

We Put Ourselves in a Position to Be Lucky

There is so much that I gained from my time in business school, but one of the most impactful things to me was a comment made by my classmate, Andrea. We were in a leadership class and our professor asked what we thought about the element of luck in success. Andrea brilliantly remarked that she believed in luck, but she put herself in the position to be lucky. I think that this is one of the most important keys to being lucky in love. Yes, some things are fated. However, if we’re not out there in the world at restaurants, on airplanes, traveling, taking cooking classes, taking language courses — or whatever makes us happy — we decrease our chances of being lucky in love.

Do What you Naturally Love

So much of what inspires us at Galavante, week after week, is to cultivate and inspire what you may love. This month, we also have our List of Top Spots in NYC to Meet Someone. Yes, believe it or not, you can still meet people the old-fashioned way: at a bar. It’s amazing what a “hello” and smile will open up when you’re out in the world, doing your thing. My friend owned a bar, and he said that all you needed to do if you really wanted to meet someone was say “hi” and tell them them to come over to where you’re sitting. I actually saw this happen when I was on a work trip a few weeks ago. One of the women in our group interrupted a chef talking to friends and said, “Hi, you’re cute, come over and talk to us.” He was so taken aback, but immediately excused himself and spent the rest of the eve with us. This woman had mojo to do that, but that brings me to my next point about love.

Leave Pride at the Door

When you’re looking for love, it’s a numbers game. There are so few (if any) who get a “hole in one,” when it comes to love. Like the woman who called the chef over, rejection is clearly not a factor at all in how she operates. Her fearlessness and confidence, while maintaining her elegance, is goals, as far as I’m concerned.

Often I hear girlfriends say that whoever they date has to bring so much to the table. My best advice to this is: sometimes, doing things with no expectation will open up an adventure you otherwise would not have had. It’s not to say “lower your standards,” but this statement doesn’t give off the best energy. I think leaving pride at the door and also being open to different ways to meet people increases your chance of success. So many principals of dating align with what it takes to travel the world.

Which brings me to another point: besides in-person, dating apps are part of the game today. When you’re traveling around the world, chances are, those who are in your city have something in common with you. For my girlfriends, who say that the person for them isn’t on an app, my response is: everyone is on an app. If you’re going to get out there to date, my opinion is that you need to go all in. Meeting the right person is a numbers game and checking our pride at the door. I know it’s terrifying to be so vulnerable, but the reward far outweighs the risk.

Go with the Flow and Enjoy

For a long time, my store was closed after a not-so-great divorce and probably PTSD that ensued. But then, a dear friend of mine, whose husband passed away, started dating and inspired me to put my hat back in the ring. In looking back on these past five years, I will say it’s been more fun to date than during my pre-marriage days. Which means (if I can say this), I hope that it gives one person the same hope, or kick in the pants, that my friend did for me years ago. And from these experiences, the best advice I can give is to relax and enjoy the adventure of meeting new people.

My last piece of wisdom on this is that skiing is one of the top places to meet a plus one, and this is not my tongue-in-cheek humor. I met the last four people, one of whom I’m still dating, because I was in Aspen. And up until last year, I did not ski. I tell my girlfriends this all the time: men are falling out of trees in Aspen.

But seriously, wherever it is that is your happy place, there’s something about love that’s worth it to get out in the world.

All the best,

Christine Drinan
Founder

Christine’s Founders Notes

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