As someone that lives in the forefront of tech and web services everyday… I test drove the Tesla S beta, I’ve signed up to be included in the beta of a bank, Simple, I got way too pumped up when I was notified I was in the beta group for Sparrow for iPhone. But even though I am very tech driven there are a few things that I still enjoy that are very old school. I still have a tailor, I’ve been going to him since I was 10. From time to time I use a straight razor. I hand write letters with a fountain pen. I care to do the regular maintenance of my car myself, as oppose to having someone else do it. And another is dating. With the advent of online dating you would think I would be on this in heart beat, but I’m not. There’s nothing wrong with it, I know several people that have met each other over online dating sites. But from time to time, I like to do things old school. There’s just something about courting a woman… Maybe it’s a chauvinistic thing, but there is something about the chase. I’ve met great people on social networking sites but dating and romantic encounters have never been the primary reason to be on these sites.

I had read Jen Friel’s adventures of OKCupid… and thought of it was fascinating, but just not for me. There’s just something about striking up conversation, reading body language, tone of voice on a first encounter that happens in the in rela life that the web and text can’t replicate.

This year started differently. I had purchased a ticket to visit New York as a surprise, things hit the fan, and my mother gifted me some of her miles and suggested I visit family in The Canary Islands (that fell throught but still visited Madrid). While on flights there is very little to do but I started striking conversations with people, for the most part I was able to do so well. I thought what the worst that can happen, if I strike out I will never see this person again.This continued through out 2011 in planes, while waiting through customs, in lounges and at the gate waiting for our plane.

So I went for it. In 2011 I took 17 trips broken into 42 flights visited 13 cities, in 7 countries, and 3 continents, amounting to ~104,000 miles.

I met 35 women, had coffee/dates with 30 of them, 13 second dates, 7 third dates and casually saw 4 of them.

Did I find love… no, but at least I had fun.