No Strangers, No Danger

Hi there good looking, I'm Tillie. Maybe we have met before, maybe this is the first time. If so, I'm delighted you are reading this. This past year has been full of surprises for me. After 27 years of navigating (un)healthy relationships and being single I have come to a place in my life where I feel called to speak up about my journey. To stand for others who are also navigating what it is like to be single in their life. Which is what my last post was about: why I am starting a business and what inspired it all.

We were created to be in community with others, connect face to face, be in relationship. I want to look at someone and see their reaction as they turn bright red, or frown, or light up in delight. These are emotions I can't see when I am texting someone or swiping right. And not that swiping right is "bad" or "good," I just wanted to create a different platform for myself and my friends to meet other amazing people. My friend Rachel shared with me about a party she hosted in Chicago and suggested I do the same here in Nashville.  After the first two parties I feel so encouraged to continue creating this opportunity for people to come together, face to face, once a month and hang out.

I get the question a lot, "what is Stranger Danger?", "are you starting a dating service?", "I don't understand what you are doing and that's just not my thing." Great, my motto in life is I can't be everyones cup of tea. And well Stranger Danger may not be everyone's favorite way to meet people and that is okay too. But I wanted to comfort you all and share what Stranger Danger entails. My hope is that if you or a single friend reads this, they will be encouraged to come to the next Stranger Danger party and join in on the fun!

The Set-Up:

BYOF (Bring your own friend) You are single & you bring a single friend. It's all friends of friends. Get it? No Strangers = no danger.

Why:

To connect with other people who share a commonality with you -- being single. And to have FUN while doing it. We don't take ourselves too seriously here.

Who Will You Meet:

Whether you come to expand your circle of single friends, meet a potential hottie or heck, even perfect your practice of flirting. Anything is possible. There is a lot of "2 degrees of separation," and friends of friends. And by the end of the night if you didn't know someone coming into it, you will walk away with a community of people who are in the same boat and who are looking to have a good time.

Courage Cards: 

Sometimes we just need permission to be brave. And be brave together. Courage Cards are there to help you make the first move. Putting yourself and your number out there is highly encouraged and scary as hell. Hence why we have a shot station! ;) But when everyone is doing it, it's a little less intimidating.

There are no planned games or icebreakers. Just music, good times and cookies. Lots of cookies. So my hope is, is that you share this with a friend. Maybe they just moved to town and need friends, or all their friends are married and they are looking for new single guys and gals to hang with. Maybe they are like me and just waiting for that moment to give a guy their number and him actually call. Whatever the reason, I will be hosting one every month in support of launching my new business, Catch & Release, in late summer 2015. Hope to see all my (single) Nashville people there!!

Follow me @tillielopez on IG for more party and Catch & Release details or email me at megan.t.lopez@gmail.com to get on the invite list! **The location is different each time**

GO BE BRAVE. #thefirstmove