Dating often gets a bad rap and I have certainly been a contributor to that notion.

A string of bad dates over the course of several years can lead you down the path to Bitter Town.

Heed this warning: while you may stop there from time to time, Bitter Town is not a place you want to set up residence in.

The truth is, I love being single, and I think dating is fun. Do I end up on terrible dates? Yes, but I’ve been able to forge a writing career out of what are arguably questionable choices.

It’s all about the positive spin. And so, if you’re newly single, or a seasoned veteran like I am, here are five reminders as to why dating is awesome.

1. You meet great people. More often than not, I find myself on a date with a really cool human, and I have zero attraction to them. It’s not a bad date, it’s just your regular, run-of-the-mill date where the conversation is fun, but you’re feeling that friend zone approaching faster than the speed of light. We often stay in touch (yes, I’m one of those types), and when they meet someone, they set you up with their partner’s single friends. It’s the dating circle of life.

2. You get to explore new restaurants. I’m constantly on the lookout for new adventures of the gastronomical kind, and letting your date choose where to have dinner has led me to some pretty incredible places around the Calgary. It’s also expanded my food comfort zone, and added some expensive wine to my list of favourites.

3. Your iPod evolves. A great first date conversation starter is music. I then of course, download the album/band that my date is gushing over. My iPod is eclectic, erratic, but I’m no longer limited my high school playlists of Nickelback, the Offspring, and West Side Connection.

4. The Stories. Dating is also a universal topic, and one that everybody is interested in, whether by sympathy, solidarity, or in some cases, thinly veiled pity. I’m a natural story teller, and the fodder I gather from going on so many dates provides endless entertainment. As well, when people find out what I do for a living, they can’t wait to add to my story collection.

5. The Butterflies. You’d think that after all this time I’d have my nerves under control, but I don’t. Every first date has the potential to be my last first date, and there is something so profound in making that statement. You never know who is going to sit down across the table from you, and that’s what makes dating the exciting adventure it is.

@caseyloganslife