Written by Lauren Geall

As Stylist’s digital writer, Lauren Geall writes on topics including mental health, wellbeing and women’s issues. She’s also a big fan of houseplants and likes to dabble in film and TV from time-to-time. You can find her on Twitter at @laurenjanegeall.

It’s time to enjoy your Eat, Pray, Love moment with the help of one of 2023’s biggest dating trends, WanderLove.      

Name: WanderLove

Meaning: WanderLove is all about being open to dating beyond the boundaries of your current city or country. In the same way that being a ‘digital nomad’ refers to working while travelling, embracing WanderLove is all about being a ‘dating nomad’ – being open to travel and relationships with people not based in your current city.

Origin: WanderLove was one of the up-and-coming terms named in Bumble’s 2023 trends report, released just last week. According to the dating app, one in three (33%) of its users say that they are now more open to travel and relationships with people outside their current city.  

It’s all very Eat, Pray, Love, isn’t it? Definitely. But hopefully without all the unhappiness in the build-up to the travelling, hey?

True. So how does it work? There are no hard-and-fast rules about how to embrace WanderLove – it’s up to the individual. For example, if someone works flexibly and travels regularly as a result, they might try going on dates in different countries around the world. However, if someone travels less, they might just try broadening their horizons and dating people from cities across the country they’re based in.

That sounds potentially… complicated? Possibly. Meeting up with people who you don’t live near could require a lot more planning and effort from both sides. But it could also be kind of fun – especially for people who feel like they’re stuck in a real dating rut (cough, cough).

Hey! I’m actually choosing not to date right now, all right? I never said being stuck in a rut was a bad thing! We’ve all been there – especially with the number of options presented to us on dating apps these days. Sometimes, you just need to mix things up to feel excited again – and WanderLove definitely does that.  

Fine, so if I wanted to embrace WanderLove, how can I get started? I guess the first step is deciding how far you’re going to cast your net, and then getting on with it!

So, I just match with everyone I come across in a different city? Not quite – but I appreciate the enthusiasm. You’re not going to throw aside all your other dating priorities and behaviours simply because you’re in a new place. WanderLove just allows you to find people suited to you in a slightly different area. After all, what are the chances of your soulmate living in the exact same area as you?

Oh god, here you go again with all the soulmate rubbish. A girl can dream!

Sure – I guess there’s nothing wrong with giving it a go… See, I knew you were a softie underneath all your sharp edges.

That’s enough for today. 

Image: Getty

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