Coffee, commute, connections

It's Monday morning. You're sitting on the bus. On the train. On a ferry (posh!). You're surrounded by tired commuters and students with too-heavy backpacks. It smells like coffee. Strong, strong coffee. Everyone is staring at their phones. (Except that one guy reading an actual book.)

You're staring at your phone, too. But you're not mindlessly scrolling social or pretending the news is interesting. It's Monday morning, dammit. You've got a whole boring week ahead of you. Why not start off doing something interesting? Think about what you'll be doing AFTER your long, long day - focus on your dating life!

Here are five reasons why you should spend your morning commute sussing out your next hookup.

1. You're stuck for a while, anyway. How long are you on the bus in the morning? A good 15 minutes? Seriously, it doesn't take that long to open up HUD App and see if there's anyone new to match with. And it's much more fun to focus on your social life when you're literally headed to the place where the phrase "social life" has no meaning.
2. Eye candy. Eye candy everywhere. (Possibly.) Look up - something you probably don't do much of while you're stuck on your morning commute. Is there anyone nearby who catches your fancy? You could have a real-life meet-cute with someone who's traveling the same way you are.
3. Give your eyes something enjoyable to look at. Okay, if you don't feel like looking up and seeing who's around, pull your hoodie up EVEN FURTHER and just fully commit to your phone screen. Deep dive into your dating app and make a goal to connect with just one person - it doesn't have to be anything serious, just a nice distraction from the mundanity of the morning ride to work.
4. It's a good time to make plans. When you're facing the day, you're fresh and ready for something to happen - so be the person who makes it happen. Message your match and make plans to meet up later NOW, when you're rested and ready, so you're more likely to make it happen than post-work when all you want to do is rot on the sofa.
5. It'll get you through the day. When you've got something to look forward to later, it's much easier to deal with all the little annoyances that pile up throughout the day. Listening to a boring lecture or shriveling up through yet another meeting that could have been an email is more manageable when you're planning to cut out and meet someone new for a drink later on.

So while your morning commute might ordinarily be the most boring part of your day, level it up by dedicating it to your dating life. Spend your travel time thinking about something much more fun than the day that awaits you. Use that morning ride for your own good for a change. Your social life will thank you.