Sandwich Dates with a Stranger Changed a TikToker’s Life in a Heartbeat

The pandemic has taken a lot of opportunities for many people. Their excitement to fulfill life goals and go out there to live their life became a faraway dream for almost three years. Socializing became digital because anyone can be a health risk — the new normal wasn’t a great experience for everyone. Isolation also aggravated negative thoughts and emotions. It became difficult to stay indoors, even if it’s the comforts of your very own home. The situation only proved that human interaction is necessary for one’s well-being.

That happened with Katie Skare, an administrative assistant who has been living in New York for 10 years. She resides in an Inwood Studio, perfect for a shy introvert like her. As an introvert, home is a safe space to recharge by yourself — living alone was the ideal life. However, when the pandemic started in March 2020, even introverted Katie did not like the feeling of being in a lockdown. She was 37 years old and would like to meet new people from time to time. But the pandemic was a huge hindrance to her goal.

At the start of 2022, New York was slowly going back to normal — people became joyful that the city that never sleeps was back in action.

According to the New York Post, Katie devised a plan to make new friends. Last January, she created a TikTok account and posted a video inviting strangers on dates and a fun-filled search for the best sandwich in town. The result was epic! She received hundreds of replies within two days. Her sandwich dates became viral, and as days went by, her social circle widened. It was as if the pandemic did not take anything away from her over the last two years.

Katie got invited for a sandwich date and interview at Today with Al Roker. She shared how the dates restored her faith in humanity and how amazing the people she met were. Her TikTok video gained over 400,000 views — it was all thanks to a sandwich.

Katie chooses a person to go on a date once a week — she would pick from more than 500 messages in her inbox. They would go to various sandwich places, have a nice talk, and share interests. Sometimes she would even meet up with people from out of town, like one from Minnesota.

“Every single person that emailed almost, except for like five out of the 500, were genuinely nice people,” Katie shared with Today. “People would often include their social media information so I could look them up and see they were real people. And honestly, I have kind of been following my gut and making sure that I’m safe,” she continued.

A delicious sandwich is an excellent food idea when meeting strangers, and it’s casual and a good conversation starter — you can also bring it anywhere. In the middle of the interview with Today, Katie showed Al Roker what happens during the date.

They usually do interviews, a little getting to know each other, and Katie posts these lovely dates and interviews on Tiktok. With the viral content, she has already reached a thousand followers on the social media platform. From going on a date with a single person to going out as a group during brunch, Katie, a self-proclaimed introvert, has outgrown her previous self. Not only did she gain friends and TikTok followers, Katie also met Ricky, who she is currently dating. Sandwiches really did a better job than most online dating apps.

Watch this interview with Katie from Today and see how neat a sandwich date is in New York City. You can also follow Katie on TikTok and send her a message if you want to go out for sandwiches and have a meaningful conversation with a lovely stranger.

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