is a content creator and body confidence advocate who shares how she navigates divorce and single life in her thirties with her half-million followers. “I’ve been single for just over a year now. I love having my own space, the routines I’ve built for myself and the independence I feel during this time.
The freedom I have to go wherever and do whatever I want is something I’ve never experienced before. I consider myself a baby dater after being for over 10 years. I’ve been single since May 2023 but didn’t feel ready to date until spring of 2024.
Now I’m just dipping my toes in and seeing what’s out there. As empowering as being single can be, I do dislike the process of dating. In this climate, I feel it can be disheartening.
While very accessible — especially if you don’t know a lot of single people in the city — and it’s easy to go after what you’re looking for, I’ve found that as time passes, you keep seeing the same people over and over again. Unfortunately, the process starts to feel a bit redundant. My job can look very social, but it’s often hard to meet men at events or social gatherings as my niche is female-focused.
It seems all my taken friends also have friends and family who are taken, so while I hope to be set up by people I know, it hasn’t happened yet. When I do try to meet people in person, I love hitting up a happy hour in the city, normally around King St. W.
Especially in the summer, I find the bars are frequented by men in their mid-twenties and thirties and everyone is so friendly. One pro of the dating scene in Toronto is its demographics: there’s really something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a certain age group, sexual orientation or background, you’d be hard-pressed to not find a diverse dating experience in the city.
But Toronto is also so densely populated, and the amount of options has made it hard to find someone actually willing to settle down. Everyone just wants to have fun. Especially with dating apps giving you access to anyone you want at your fingertips, it’s harder to really connect with just one person.
I find that in the city, people really enjoy the chase. It’s the paradox of choice. My worst date? Well, one time someone asked me out for ice cream and a walk, which I thought was cute.
We had a lot in common and everything was going great. He asked if he could drive us in his truck to a walking trail nearby, and apparently everything my mother taught me about getting into cars with strangers was null and void because he was a cute, tall man with ice cream. He proceeded to speed down side roads with ice cream in one hand and his phone in the other.
How was the car being driven if his hands were occupied, you ask? With his knees! It felt like something out of “Final Destination” but I survived and, while the rest of the date was OK, he turned out to be a love-bomber who ghosted me a couple days later. Lovely. “Being a content creator, sometimes people will hear about your job and not take you seriously,” says Brynta Ponn.
Being a content creator, sometimes people will hear about your job and not take you seriously or decide they can’t date you because your life is so public. I try to keep my dating life and work life separate for now, at least until I’m in a serious relationship. I did take a guy to a Jonas Brothers concert when I was invited by a brand, and I have given guys products before, but I think the coolest thing I’ve done on a date was pick up the check! It’s a misconception that content creators are all fake and high-maintenance.
Look, I love a good night out on the town, you can wine and dine me if you want, but the man who takes me fishing with some beers is getting all my brownie points. People need to remember not to judge a book by its cover. I hate romantic interviews, so I love a good activity on a date.
I feel the best way to get to know someone is when there’s something else going on. I love a drive-in movie, as it’s retro, intimate and cute; the 5 Drive-In in Oakville is great. A paint playground like Planet Splatter in Mississauga is so fun.
Or a trampoline park, it’s so random but it’s active and I dare you not to have fun; Upla in Stouffville is great! I also like an arcade bar, because a little friendly competition never hurt anyone: Duke’s Refresher on Front St. E. has a great vibe and even a mini basketball court, while Greta on King St.
W. has good food and a lot of games. Concert series are a good time; Casa Loma runs Symphony in the Gardens until September and it’s a fun little romantic experience.
I’d love to take a date to Toronto Island for a picnic or to a pasta-making class at Tiny Market Co..
