Whether you're bringing your boo back home for the first time ever or you're just looking to do something extra sentimental the next time you visit your parents, these hometown dates for you and your partner can be a great way to connect with them deeper (read: feel like you're a contestant on The Bachelor).
From hitting up a high school football game to grabbing a drink at a local bar with your childhood besties, taking your SO around your hometown can be a great way to teach them more about your childhood. Though you and your boo may know everything about each other, seeing them in the place they grew up can be even more meaningful. Maybe you share embarrassing stories as you retrace your steps at the mall or discuss the role that family has played in your life as you look through old photo albums. Whatever the case, hometown dates are the perfect way to learn more about each other in an informal setting. They also can be super fun and affordable, aka the best kind of dates.
Though anything you plan is sure to be perfect, if you need some extra inspo, these 12 dates will make your hometown where the heart is.
If you or your boo were super involved in sports during high school, seeing a local high school game together can be a super sweet way to learn more about your past. Whether you share a pretzel or sneak in some candy, you can talk about your high school experiences and your passion for sports.
Maybe you and your friends lived in the local Starbucks and literally paid for your passion iced tea with the quarters you found around your house (me). Or perhaps, you were lucky enough to have a local cute coffee shop blocks from your home. Invite your boo for a coffee date at your fave childhood spot and talk about all the things you used to do there with your friends. In other words, talk about your crushes and give nicknames to all the baristas.
Growing up in the 2000s, was there anything more fun than going to the mall? Ask your mom to lend you $20 and drop you off (or drive yourself there and spend your own money), then take your boo on a mall date. Do all the things you used to do in middle school — a trip to Claire's, Auntie Anne's, Spencer's Gifts, you name it.
From the local sandwich place to that bagel shop down the street with the amazing pastries, bring your boo to your favorite before or after-school snack spots. While you're eating, talk to them about what your day-to-day life was like when you were growing up.
Hometown thrift stores are the best thrift stores, and I'm not afraid to say it. Whether you and your friends lived at the local vintage shop or the Salvation Army in the town over always has the best records, take your boo on a local thrifting date and talk about all your favorite books and movies.
Ah, hometown friends. Though you may not still be super tight besties with the people you grew up with, introducing your boo to your high school friends can be a super sweet walk down memory lane. You can share silly stories from childhood and hit up all your favorite townie dive bars together.
Are you into pepperoni or sausage? Is cheese a topping? What's the deal with a stuffed crust? Hitting up your fave local pizza spot is a perfect way for your boo to learn more about your childhood, not to mention the deep politics of pizza.
Whether this is your boo's first time at your parents' house or they've been over a ton, asking your parents to pull out old family photo albums and your childhood art can be a super sweet way to show your boo more from your early years. Your partner can get to know your parents better, as well as get a little insight into who you were as a little bean.
You and your boo may already love to go to the movies together. Still, catching a midday movie in your hometown theater can be a great way to relive an old favorite pastime. Sneak in your OG favorite snacks and talk about the first movies you saw in theaters.
If you're from a small town, you may know what it's like to have every business in a 10-mile radius close at 9:00 p.m. except that one diner that stays open all night. Heck, even if you're from a big city, hitting up your favorite all-night diner for some late-night pie or eggs can be a great way to show your boo a part of your life. Talk about all the nights you ended up there in high school and all your favorite things to order.
Whether you take them to the local makeout spot (mine was the parking lot of a lighthouse on a little peninsula called "The Neck") or show them where you had your first kiss, revealing parts of your romantic past can be a great way to connect deeper. Sharing details about your first kiss, time having sex, or falling in love, can be a special way to understand each other better.
However, you never need to feel pressure to share details about your past that make you uncomfortable. If you'd rather wax your whole body than relive your high school dating years, taking your boo on a nice dinner date somewhere or a romantic walk in your hometown can be a great way to make new memories.
No matter where you're from, there's likely some sort of tourist attraction in your area. Take your boo to a landmark, museum, or a notable natural landscape. Think of what makes your hometown special and share it with your boo. Take time to talk about how growing up where you did impacted who you are and why you're happy (or not happy!) to be from there.
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