I will not discuss health care, climate change, or politics, even in an election year. But if you want to bring my blood dangerously close to boiling point, tell me Tinder is just a hookup app. I will debate this to the death. Forget Airbnb, Orbitz, Uber or anything else must-have apps: The most valuable travel app on my phone is Tinder.
Technically, Tinder – founded by two 27-year-old men in 2012 – is a lifestyle app. According to Apple, it is the second most downloaded lifestyle app, beating Google Home and Amazon Alexa. I started using Tinder in 2015 after my five-year relationship ended when I moved across the country. My first Tinder date was with Brad, an entrepreneur who surprised me with a night flight over the city. My parents never said you shouldn't get on a plane with strangers. Brad and I didn't last, but that wasn't the last time I used Tinder.
In 2016, I wrote a Fox News article titled “10 Best Tips to Improve Your International Tinder Game. “In 2017, I wrote an article for a South African magazine called “Tales of Tindering in 25 Countries.” In 2018, I met my long-term boyfriend (and best friend to this day) on Tinder . But even when we started dating, exclusively, I didn't stop swiping. I was still traveling for a living. This app was my Aladdin. It could show me the world.
The guides are great. But there are many things a local knows better than Planet alone. I had this epiphany in Spain, shortly after meeting a sexy Spanish girl. Carlos was a kitesurfer and my key to opening doors I didn't even know existed. They opened up to beautiful secret beaches and the best tapas bars off the beaten track. He took me to places so authentic that if I didn't order in Spanish I would starve.
But it was Toby, an Australian hotter than a Hemsworth who took my virginity with an oyster at a posh raw bar in Brisbane. I grew up in Montana, where seafood is synonymous with red lobster. Toby and I never even held hands. But our relationship, still going strong three years later, is as intimate as it is platonic. Were correspondents – the kind of postal mail. The best card he sent me was basically a dictionary of Australian slang. I plan to use the lexicon the next time I visit him in the Netherlands.
I'm also going back to Bali one day to reunite with a potential old flame and meet his new wife and baby. Roger, a Swiss expat who opened Glamping on the beach in Bali in the middle of the pandemic, and I matched on Tinder several years ago. It was a godsend when Mount Agung started spewing ash and closed the airport, leaving me stranded. Roger helped me organize transportation on the island, telling me which taxis were the most reputable and what to expect in terms of fares. He even called Air Asia for me when their website was down and I didn't have access to a phone.
Roger and I stayed in touch, and about a year later he visited me in Thailand where we spent Valentine's Day at the launch of an online dating service, Nomadic soul mates. I don't think it's ever gotten as big as Tinder.
Tinder is even doing well despite border closures. A year ago, it had its busiest day in its history with more than 3 billion swipes on March 29. In April, the company achieved Free passport for all members. For years, I've been paying for this feature, which allows me to place myself in other locations without physically moving there. This helps me plan my dinners even a few days before landing.
Of course, I always insist on meeting in public places. I believe in the law of attraction. If I'm looking for a like-minded traveler hoping to share transportation and sightseeing costs or a local interested in a free language exchange, this is the one I end up meeting. I don’t have a single scary stage five story to share. Even when I'm using the app for romantic reasons and there's no physical chemistry, I still get away with it. I have dozens, if not hundreds, of success stories.
Gary, an American expat in Thailand, introduced me to a pizzeria with a stone oven straight out of Naples. I never saw him again, but I made all subsequent Tinder dates there in Chiang Mai. I didn't know if we would fall in love with each other, but I knew that at least we would love the food. Rui, a Portuguese George Clooney-meets-Josh Duhamel, invited me to join him and his ex-girlfriend, a stunning Estonian and current prospect, a British businesswoman he met on Bumble, to a dinner one evening in Porto. I left with two new essential friends. Additionally, I now have accommodation in three different countries.
Marijn, a smart Dutch cyclist who plans to cycle across Morocco, took me to anecdotes at an unpretentious speakeasy. Not only did I learn a lot about climate change, the theme of the evening, but we also won (thanks to him) so I won free drink vouchers. I also attended a trivia night with Joshua Cripps, an award-winning wildlife photographer I met in Mammoth Lakes, California. We didn't win. But for the past five years, he has been a serious source of inspiration when I look for new destinations. He is also the first person I go to when I have questions about the camera.
Then there's Lian, a Matthew McConaughey lookalike from South Africa. We spent less than 24 hours together before breaking up. Nothing romantic happened for months. However, we stayed in touch, texting every day. We even started a book club. Our first book was “Talking to Strangers” by Malcolm Gladwell. The final book was his doppelganger's first memoir, “Greenlights.” But the book that I cherish the most is the history book of his country that he gave me when we met in January 2020 to go on a trip. Star WarsDisney themed cruise. For seven days, it was just the two of us (and a few thousand of our closest Jedi and Stormtrooper friends).
Inspired by this iconic scene where Princess Leia thinks to surprise Han Solo with these three meaningful words, I told Lian that I loved her. Unfortunately, the coronavirus put an end to our budding romance. He returned home to quarantine in Cape Town. With Biden restricts travel from South AfricaI don't know when I'll see him again.
Statistically speaking, I'm most likely to come across Bryce, an artist who lives near me. He is now engaged. But when we met, we were both single and interested enough in other cultures to take a road trip to Crow Fair, a powwow so large it's billed as the “Tepee Capital of the World.” We honored elders with traditional dances, cheered children on in pony races, and enjoyed saddle-sized fried bread.
I also think Tinder belongs on any list of best travel apps. For some users, it is a hookup app. But for users like me, this is how you meet locals who have the insider connection guides you'll never have. It’s also a tool for meeting like-minded travelers. Whether you want a companion for a day trip, someone to share an expensive taxi ride to the airport with, or even just another person to take your photo with because you're tired of selfies, you can find them all on Tinder. All you have to do is swipe to the right people.
