🧝‍♀️ Wish you could find your Fellowship without having to roll a Nat 20 on charisma? Many shy, introverted nerds want to touch grass and be more sociable... without having to join extrovert quests! If that's you, Hobbit Hike could be the perfect solution! 🙌

In this episode, Sompi invites us to join “Hobbit Hike”, a magical, costume-friendly adventure where nerds, geeks, and gamers gather to touch grass, twirl swords, and unlock their social tree ⚔️ Whether you’re a veteran cosplayer, a D&D dice goblin, or just someone who’d rather sit on a rock in the forest than shout over a hentai lounge, this episode will show you a new way to build your party.

🤯 Hobbit Hike exploded from a handful of cosplay friends to a 70+ member stronghold, all while keeping things introvert-friendly and low-pressure. Sompi’s “assigned extroverts” and buddy systems make sure even the quietest newcomers find their people. With a mix of easy hikes and whimsical costumes, you'll find that the best connections happen when you’re not racing to the finish line 🏁

🎧 Ready to level up your social life and unlock the Tolkien branch of your social tree? Press start and let’s go on an adventure! 🧙‍♂️

🖤 WHERE (AND HOW) TO MEET SOMEONE ORGANICALLY! 🎮

FREE WALKTHROUGH with 200+ ideas and a guide to help you on your Relationship Quest!

Download it for free at https://www.datelikeanerd.com/where

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

About Sompi

Sompi is the founder of Healthbar Fitness, where she helps nerds, geeks, and gamers level up their health without abandoning the hobbies they love. Her journey began with personal struggles with negative body image and extreme dieting, including a stint in competitive bodybuilding that left her trapped in unhealthy cycles.

Now, Sompi is on a mission to help other nerds achieve similar transformations. Beyond online coaching, she organizes Hobbit Hike in Las Vegas, where people hike in Renaissance festival outfits, and runs a vibrant Discord community with book clubs, movie nights, and craft sessions.

At Healthbar Fitness, Sompi understands that true health includes community and personal growth—it's about building a balanced character sheet for real life while still having fun with the things you love.

Sompi's Links:

1. https://discord.gg/8jtQZR2YeF
2. https://www.youtube.com/@sompiharmetz
3. https://www.instagram.com/sompiharmetz/

Related Episodes:

1. The Tolkien Association
2. Find Your Nerd Community
3. Animé Los Angeles
4. Tolkien meets Star Wars
5. Find Love Through Online Games

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:01:22 What's Hobbit Hike
• 00:02:47 Who Joins Hobbit Hike
• 00:04:10 Fitness Level Required
• 00:06:34 A Different Hike
• 00:07:46 Helping Introverts Fit In
• 00:14:56 Checkin In On Attendees
• 00:17:08 Reading Signs of Interest
• 00:19:21 Keeping Everyone Safe
• 00:24:08 Connecting Outside Hobbit Hike
• 00:27:06 Start Your Own!
• 00:27:48 Contact Info

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media

💬 Finding love on Discord is possible. Even if your Player 2 is the streamer who created the server. That said, there are some things you should keep in mind and that you want to avoid. After all, you can't meet anyone in person if you get banned! 📵

In this episode, GamerMomLuna and Jason share how they went from a Twitch chat NPC to streamer relationship to a co-op campaign building a life under the same roof 🏡 It wasn't an overnight evolution, and it wasn't planned, either.

🖥️ Jason had been watching Luna's streams and participating in the chat for a while before deciding to join her Discord. There, he was just another member joining random conversations. One day, a single thread turned into an epic-long dialogue. The rest of the server wasn’t invested, but they’d rolled a natural 20 on connection. It was time to move to a private conversation 🤫

☝️ They are the perfect example of how to transition from regular chat to DM. It's not about finding an excuse good enough to slide into someone's DMs. After all, they can block you, report you, or ghost you. It's about knowing that they want to hear from you as much as you want to hear from them 🙂‍↕️

Once there, the usual conversation rules apply. Talk about your shared passions, and get to know the person behind the screen. Eventually, the curiosity might kick in, and you can go on a date, hang out, or even invite them to your next TTRPG session! 🎲

🎧 Press play if you're hoping to meet someone online! 🛜

🖤 FREE GUIDE: Where (And How) To Meet Your Player 2 Organically 🎮

200+ ideas and a guide to help you on your Relationship Quest!

Download it for free at https://www.datelikeanerd.com/where

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

Donate to Extra Life: https://www.extra-life.org/participant/GamerMom-Luna

Luna's Links:

• https://linktr.ee/GamerMomLuna
• https://www.twitch.tv/gamermomluna
• https://www.youtube.com/@GamerMomLuna
• https://www.threads.net/@gamermomluna
• https://www.instagram.com/gamermomluna/
• https://www.tiktok.com/@thegamermomluna

Related Episodes:

• Find Love Through Online Games, with Kaylee Lopez https://www.datelikeanerd.com/podcast/find-love-through-online-games/
• The TTRPG Group https://www.datelikeanerd.com/podcast/the-ttrpg-group/
• Rejected, Friendzoned, and Not Reading the Signals https://www.datelikeanerd.com/podcast/rejected-friendzoned-nerd-love-story/
• Find Your Nerd Community https://www.datelikeanerd.com/podcast/nerd-community/

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:00:43 What Makes Them Nerds
• 00:02:01 Twitch Streamer's Discord
• 00:06:16 Transitioning to DMs
• 00:10:11 More Than Friends
• 00:13:41 First Date
• 00:19:23 Making it Official
• 00:21:54 Avoiding The Friend Zone
• 00:26:48 From Discord to DMs
• 00:28:20 Extra Life

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media

👾 How do people find a partner who plays online video games? It often feels like you're damned if you join a community looking for a relationship, and you're damned if you don't (because how else can you meet someone outside dating apps?!) 🤨

🎮 In this episode, I talk to Kaylee Lopez, an anthropologist who writes about gaming and game communities. We explore the ways you can integrate yourself into communities, unlock the gamer branch of your Social Tree, and find your Player 2. Literally! 🕹️

⌨️ Meeting gamers has its own set of challenges that are different from meeting people IRL 🖥️ On the one hand, most people don't play video games to find their soulmate (just like with most communities). So even if you're brave enough to approach NPCs, most people don't want to be hit on immediately 🙅

💬 On top of that, if you do start talking to someone and hitting it off with them... you know absolutely nothing about them. And even if you did and had some interaction, whether you'd get along in person remains uncertain.

And to top it off, even if all of that does work out... they may live too far away from you! ✈️ So even if you manage to find your soulmate, they may exist all the way across the world with neither of you wanting to move 🌎

So with all of these odds against you, could it ever happen? The answer is YES.

🎧 Press Start to learn how to find your Player 2! 🧑‍💻

🖤 FREE GUIDE: Where (And How) To Meet Your Player 2 Organically 🎮

200+ ideas and a guide to help you on your Relationship Quest!

Download it for free at https://www.datelikeanerd.com/where

📱 Have questions? Join me on Discord! https://www.datelikeanerd.com/discord

About Kaylee Lopez

Kaylee is an anthropologist who writes about gaming and game communities. She's also a certified therapeutic game master, game writer, and game editor.

Kaylee's Links:

• https://kayleelopez.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/the_gaming_anthropologist/
• https://www.threads.com/@the_gaming_anthropologist
• http://patreon.com/anthroriot

Related Episodes:

• Find Your Nerd Community https://www.datelikeanerd.com/podcast/nerd-community/
• The Tolkien Association https://www.datelikeanerd.com/podcast/the-tolkien-association/
• Text Confession Gone Wrong, No Proper Dates, and Critical Fails https://www.datelikeanerd.com/podcast/text-confession-no-dates/

Timestamps for lazy nerds:

• 00:00:00 Intro
• 00:00:58 Finding Love Within Online Games
• 00:04:56 Joining With Honesty
• 00:07:47 IRL vs Online Chemistry
• 00:09:56 Find Gamers In Your Area
• 00:14:16 Expanding Your Social Tree
• 00:18:05 Breakups Within Communities

Contact:
dm@datelikeanerd.com or
@datelikeanerd on social media