Hope Boulevard by J. Hope Suis

Starting a new relationship can be one of life’s most exciting experiences. It can also be scary with moments of insecurity and a million questions. It is a process of discovery to determine if this other person, whom you have an initial attraction to, is someone you wish to invest time and emotional energy into. But what happens when this relationship begins just before or during the holiday season? Diving into dating after October brings a completely new set of challenges. In addition to t he learning curve in deciding whether or not this person has long term potential, there are the added pressures of parties, family get-togethers, and what gifts to buy. A nd don’t get me started on Hallmark Christmas movies! Everywhere one looks, there is love in the air. With all these emotional stimuli at every turn, i t is tempting and easy to fast track a new relationship. This can cause conflict and could even derail what would otherwise be a sweet budding romance. If you tr

As someone who has been single for quite a while, I have researched (and experimented) with my fair share of dating apps and websites. The paid ones, the free ones, the ones you probably wouldn’t want your Mom to know you used. It seems like every month there is a new avenue to find someone to hang out, date or otherwise connect with, but what I didn’t see coming was the rise of Instagram on the dating scene.   I did know that Instagram was gaining in popularity and now has an estimated 800 million users worldwide! The photo-sharing platform provides easy access to the things we love to post and a peek into a bird’s eye view of our own piece of the world. A potential suitor can learn quickly of similar interests, ideals and even what we have for dinner, our fashion sense and possibly even our relationship status. It is all that combined that has made Instagram the new go-to place to meet someone. It has become so popular, it even has its own terminology.   Tindstagra