It can generally go without saying that trying to work up the courage to plan out a first date, much less ask about the first date, is an incredibly tough task. It can feel as if everything has aligned when your partner agrees to the first date and you manage to put your best foot forward there.

However, when that first date is over, or even partway through it, you might begin to wonder, what now? Once you have the first date completed, where should you go next? How should you handle things? In some ways, the second date can be even more stressful than the first, as impressions have been made and now you have to live up to them. If you feel yourself getting lost at the idea of planning out that second date, it is important to remember not to let yourself get overwhelmed.

It is important to take things on a step-by-step basis. First, you will want to judge the overall situation and how you feel about that. Depending on the conversations that took place on the first date, you might have some ideas on what to do, where to go, and what your potential partner appreciates on a date.

You should use this to help guide you into choosing the most impactful spot for a second date. From there, you will need to think about what the two of you want to do and where the two of you would enjoy going. This will help you narrow down your options enough to only have a handful of places left to go. From there, it shouldn’t be too hard to decide what you and your new partner will want to do to make the second date just as important as the first.

Judging the Overall Situation

First things first, you will need to determine what the situation between you and your new partner is. You may even want to talk it over so that you know for a fact that the two of you are in the same mindset about going out for a second date.

If the other person is not as interested in a second date, it might be worth talking about things and thinking about what the two of you can do to increase the chances of a second date becoming a possibility. In some cases, sadly, the other side simply might not be feeling it. The same can apply to you as well.

If you do not feel that spending the time and money is worth it for a second date, then it may be time to find a new potential partner. You will want to be certain about moving things forward before you really get into the bulk of planning for a second date.

Once you are sure that the two of you want to take things forward, you will want to think about how the first date went and how the person responded to the overall atmosphere of the place you went. This will be a good guide for you to determine that person’s interest and likes for date locations.

For instance, if your partner didn’t seem too interested in a restaurant environment, you should consider going somewhere completely different, such as a ferry boat.

Likewise, if it seems as if that person enjoyed the atmosphere of eating out, you should consider looking at specialty restaurants in the area. Specialty places can include dessert-focused restaurants, or any other place that stands out from the crowd of typical restaurants. For figuring out the outline of what you want to do for the next date, these context clues are incredibly important if you want to make sure that the second date has even more impact than the first.

Planning What You Want to Do

For a second date, now that the two of you know each other a little bit better, it may be worth thinking about places that offer things to do rather than just chatting over a cup of coffee. Not only can this instigate different conversations, it can help you get to know your potential partner even better.

Of course, while making sure that you enjoy the date, it will also be important to take the other’s opinions into consideration. What this means is that if he or she has expressed interest in certain activities, you may want to lean toward those activities for a second date to show that you are listening and that you care about what your potential partner has to say. Meanwhile, you also need to consider where to eat and which are the best restaurants in Erie, PA, among other things.

There are plenty of ideas to consider when thinking about activity-based locations. You can consider taking a walk on the beach or a hike in the mountains depending on your location. If the two of you have similar interests in bands and a band is playing nearby, you can consider going to one of their performances.

If you know that your potential partner thoroughly enjoys the shopping experience, you could consider turning that into an activity. You could go to a unique bookstore or you could consider buying groceries and cooking food beside each other. Many people enjoy being able to do activities alongside other people, making it all the more important to consider activities for your second date ideas.

Planning Where You Want to Go?

Just as the activities being done are important, the atmosphere of the location is also important. Of course, location isn’t everything, but it does make up a sizeable portion of how each party feels at a date. A place that doesn’t have a comfortable atmosphere can make for a very unenjoyable night, which is something that nobody really wants to have happen just after the first date.

With that being said, you will want to think about some of the potential places you could go to impress your potential partner. For instance, if the two of you enjoy a drink every now and then, you may want to consider going on a brewery tour. These tours can be interesting to learn from, and it can be an opportunity to share drinks with each other.

If you two enjoy being outdoors, you could consider having a picnic in the park. This can often provide an enjoyable place to relax and lay back, while you both indulge in your favorite foods. Depending on the time of year, you might even be in time to see the trees bloom or for them to change colors during autumn. Either one of these can make the experience even better.

Another example would be if both of you enjoy art, you can consider going to a local art gallery and checking out what is on display there. This can also give you the opportunity to spark up an interesting conversation about art, artists, and interests.

Taking the Other’s Ideas Into Consideration

Finally, one thing that you will need to consider is what your other half will want to do. Hopefully, depending on how well conversation goes from the first day onward, you will be able to get a good idea about what the other person enjoys on a date.

If there are some major clashes, such as you despising art and the other person adoring it, it may be worth going for the other person’s sake. However, it would be best to find an alternative around clashes like this, as going to a date not planning to enjoy it won’t end up looking good on your part. By making sure that you take all of this into account, you can rest assured knowing that this second date will have just as much impact as the first date, and will hopefully leave even more of an impression.