How do you even meet someone today?

The eternal question my single friends and I keep coming back to. Well, the few single friends I have. Because is it just me, or has it actually become harder to meet someone?

I love romantic films. You know, the kind where two people meet each other's eyes and somehow can't quite let go. They bump into each other again, maybe several times, until someone finally dares to say hi.

“Do we know each other? I feel like I've seen you before?”

And that's where it begins. A conversation that leads to a coffee in town. Maybe he asks for my number, calls a few days later and wants to meet again.

I mean, how lovely would that be?

I'm probably a bit old-fashioned when it comes to courtship. I like it when someone shows interest, takes the initiative and is actually clear about what he wants. And of course I can take the first step as a woman too. I've done it several times.

But let's come back to reality for a moment. How often do those film-like meetings really happen?

One of my single friends has her kids full time and lives outside town. Her days are work, kids and everything else that has to get done.

“But how am I supposed to meet someone? It's not like a man is going to knock on my door and ask me out.”

And she has a point.

I have my son almost all the time myself. He's with his dad every other weekend, and even though I appreciate my time to myself, it has to cover quite a lot of other things too. Friends, exercise, everyday chores – and sometimes you really just want to lie on the sofa and do absolutely nothing.

So where is that spontaneous love supposed to happen? Between work, pick-up and grocery shopping? Should I start flirting at the self-checkout at the supermarket?

The other day I talked to a male friend about dating apps. He was very clear that they're not his thing. He wants to meet someone naturally. His previous relationships started as friendships and then grew into something more.

And I understand him.

According to the Swedes and the Internet 2025 report, 55 percent of singles prefer to make first contact with a potential partner in real life.

But that's exactly where I get stuck. Because wanting to meet someone naturally and actually having the opportunity are two completely different things.

In the almost two years I've been single, I've met or got in touch with men either on the dance floor or through an app. And that obviously hasn't turned into a love story yet. Otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here writing about it.

But it has also made me think about something else.

Because maybe it's not just about where you meet someone, but also about how you find someone who actually wants the same thing.

Several times I've found it hard to get past that first spark of interest. I've wanted to ask slightly deeper questions, understand who the person is and what he's looking for. But sometimes the contact has simply fizzled out. Other times we've discovered that we think very differently about things that really matter.

Children, distance, values, the future. How you want to live your life and what you hope to share with someone else.

And those are the things I'd like to know. Not to plan the whole future before the first date, but to understand whether there's even a basis for building something together.

That's also a big reason why it feels so meaningful to be a co-founder of Aivelyn.

We want to create something where you get to discover more of the person behind the photo. Where personality, values and what you're looking for in life get space right from the start and help you find people you can actually be a good match with.

To me, that feels like a really good start.

Of course, it doesn't matter how well you match on paper if the feeling isn't there when you finally meet. That chemistry, curiosity and wish to see each other again can't be decided in advance.

And I still want all of that.

The look that lingers a little longer. Someone who actually calls. A coffee date where the conversation flows so well that you suddenly realise you've been sitting there for three hours.

I don't know where or how I'll meet someone. Maybe it'll be in that spontaneous way I dream of. Or maybe through Aivelyn.

And just imagine – how amazing would it be to find love through an app I'm helping to build myself?

That would be a pretty lovely love story in itself.