During the winter, we tend to hibernate. It's cold; it's slushy; it gets dark by 4:30. Nobody really wants to be out there. If you're single though, you can't just stop dating until the weather gets nice again -- because dating, as we all know, is a numbers game, and you must always be out there meeting people if you want to land the person of your dreams. Winter is a good time to look for love because of two holidays specifically -- New Year's Day and Valentine's Day. People love to make it their New Year's resolution to find the love of their life, and you'll find a lot of singles at any event that falls around Valentine's Day, for obvious reasons. So winter is a great time to get out there and flirt up a storm (if you'll pardon the expression).
In this article, I am going to focus on options for the gay community, as that is my specialty, since I am a co-founder of one of the most successful LGBT dating sites out there: OneGoodLove.com.
First of all, if you have not done so already, connect with your local LGBT center, if you're lucky enough to have one in your area. The LGBT Center in New York City, for example, has a lot of events for gay singles, everything from speed dating to author lectures to movie nights. Your LGBT center is a great option if you are sick of the bar scene or in recovery. Get your center's calendar or stalk their bulletin boards, where you'll also find events for other happenings in your area. It's a great starting point. (If you don't have an LGBT center, then head to your local gay/radical bookstore, or try meetup.com for gay-minded events. If you still can't find anything to do, then create your own single gay group on meetup.com. It's fairly low-cost.)
Secondly, consider the Elevation winter gay ski week events. Produced by Tom Whitman, these events provide plenty of opportunities to interact with other quality single gay men. (And if you are lucky enough to be in a couple it also makes a great romantic getaway!) Running from February 6 to February 9 (a week before Valentine's Day) Elevation Tahoe features more than 3600 acres and 270 trails, with an average of 400 inches of snow falling there over the course of a year. Whether you are a beginner skier or more advanced, you're bound to find the activity level that's perfect for you.
And the fun doesn't end when the skiing is over. There are also parties with world-class DJs such as DJ Casey Alva and DJ Pornstar. If you can't make that event, there is also Elevation Utah running from February 20th to the 23rd, and Elevation Mammoth running from March 12th to the 16th. Check out tahoegayski.com, utahgayski.com and mammothgayski.com for more info on these events. If you're frustrated with the singles community in your area, then this can be a great way to expand your social circle and potentially meet your soul mate. As someone who has been to Elevation Mammoth several times, I can highly recommend the experience and look forward to it every year.
Finally, there is online dating. Online dating is always popular but in the winter singles enjoy the convenience of searching for love indoors (even though you do eventually have to step outside once you get a date!). Many websites do offer services for the gay community, but at OneGoodLove.com the LGBT community is our ONLY focus. Our site not only helps connect you to the love of your life but we also help you analyze your personality and figure out what you should be looking for in a mate with our Personality Profile Test, created by a gay Ph.D. So definitely give us a try when exploring your winter online dating options.
No matter what you do, though, don't give up on finding the love of your life during the winter. If you start looking now, you can still find someone to keep you warm during the chilly months ahead. Good luck!