Making A First Impression
Somewhere out there two strangers are destined to become lifelong friends.
Published
"I Think You Two Should Meet" is a monthly friend-matchmaking column connecting strangers based on shared interests, values, and personalities. Each installment captures a third-wheel perspective of their first meet-up using each participant’s post-date review.
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Wondering something? Email ithinkyoutwoshouldmeet@gmail.com
In 2020, I began a short-lived radio series through my university’s broadcasting club called Making Friends. It was an experimental project where I invited anyone willing to join me in unscripted conversations while an audience eavesdropped. Shortly after I signed off for my last show, the world shut down.
Wherever you were, relationships transformed, drawing people closer or drifting them apart. Our virtual personas became invaluable resources as screens became our meeting grounds and dating apps were pathways for meaningful connection. And now, after adapting to new ways of introducing ourselves and staying in touch, we find ourselves here. Welcome to "I Think You Two Should Meet," a reimagined version of a project rooted in a yearning for platonic connection.
I dedicate this first installment to my friends. I hope to meet you again in every single lifetime.
Tu amiga,
Megan
Elena + Emily
- in their 20s
- both made recent career changes
- night owls
Emily believes there are few things more dependable than a good chicken cutlet. While I can't be entirely sure about Elena's enthusiasm for perfectly breaded poultry, considering her favorite quality is her sense of humor, Emily can likely count on Elena a good laugh.
7:30 PM at Katana Kitchen, Greenwich Village
As they entered the underground Japanese dive bar, they broke the ice with a joke about how it felt like a first date. Acknowledging the familiar and awkward charm of meeting a stranger for the first time, they went on to exchange pleasantries fueled by a shared need for a cocktail.
Emily: “I ordered a drink I only knew half the ingredients of.”
She opted for an amaretto sour, as she's lured most often by drinks that bear the label "sour." Elena, on the other hand, simply writes, "We got cocktails :)". With their chosen drinks in hand, Elena and Emily began covering the basics as they warmed up to each other.
Elena: “She had lived in Salt Lake for a few years before moving to New York which I thought was interesting.”
Emily: “You could tell there was a lot there, but it's not all going to be divulged right away.”
Elena: “She shared a cute story about how she and her partner met on a Zoom dating show that her friend had coordinated during the Pandemic.”
While pushing through head-nodding and moments of pause, the two started finding similarities within their personal anecdotes—such as attending rival schools in towns with unforgiving winters.
Emily: “We both fall somewhere between literary enthusiasts and New York Times bestsellers in our book tastes.”
Elena: “I invited her to join my friend's book club.”
Emily: “We're both having a small existential career crisis.”
Elena: “We may have also convinced each other to buy more wine.”
So, did Elena and Emily make any plans to cross paths once more after this serendipitous encounter?
Elena: “We made plans to keep in touch about a concert later this summer [Alex G].”
Emily: “If it was a date, I’d go on a second!”
Elena and Emily has a nice ring to it.
Elena and Emily, Emily and Elena, Elena and Emily, Emily and Elena…