Hey Lil 🙂 Being that I do poke around here and field responses from folks, it is something that I've struggled with, so I appreciate your response
LilGirlLovesKisses wrote:
We first met on reddit and once we got to the point we wanted to meet, the only thing he was concerned for was MY comfortability. Realistically, you can feel like you really like the person but then you meet and it just doesnt feel right, or its different in person and it doesn't end up working out. So our first agreement was that if either of us felt like this wasn't going to work romantically, then we would have a fun weekend as friends. That made the meeting a LOT less pressure and more about just seeing how we both feel at the time. When it came to hosting, we decided on a hotel. It's public, if issues happen who ever lives closer can just go home (despite our hangout agreement just in case a big problem came up) and everyones happy. If the person ends up being crazy, they don't know where you live, you don't have to worry about getting them out of your house and everything is kind of a win/win.
I've felt that. I constantly think about how to let others be comfortable with me. I don't want to come off as imposing, threatening, pushy, etc. so I'm always careful in my word choice and my approach. With hosting someone, I do find I'm most concerned with their comfort, as I don't want them to feel stuck here if they make the effort. Establishing early on that there is no commitment here if things don't develop romantically is good too to take off the pressure.
I'm also fine with meeting somewhere neutral like a hotel or a restaurant or something, although I feel it's less necessary. To me, someone that wanted to do me harm could just pass on a facade until we eventually moved to our houses anyway, so to me it just seems like part of the innate degree of risk we take in meeting anyone and getting involved with them. I do see your point though, and if it makes the other person comfortable, I'm not opposed to it.
LilGirlLovesKisses wrote:
After the first time we would assess moving forward. I think if both parties still feel more comfortable to stay at a hotel, then do it. There's literally ZERO reason to rush and a BDSM dynamic, SHOULDNT be rushed anyway... All about trust and feeling comfortable and safe.
Also agree with this. It's a major reason why I do not recommend anyone just move/relocate right away for a dynamic. It is a semi-permanent decision to pack up and move somewhere and it should be done when that person has already spent time where they would be living and are comfortable with that, almost second nature. If I can ask, did you and your Daddy do any BDSM play in your first few visits, or did that also take a degree more time and comfort?
LilGirlLovesKisses wrote:
First time, I traveled to him. I didn't expect him to help out at all with my travel expenses as I offered to go there (practicality, it just made more sense). Everything else, hotel, food, etc was discussed as to who was paying for what. We split the cost of the hotel and everything else but it was agreed on from the get-go. When he came to me the second time, it was the same. He paid for his travel and we split the cost of everything else. We based our decision on what we felt was fair and equal. Nothing wrong with offering to cover more than half, but we felt half was fair for the pair of us.
I love this. Online has made me a lot protected about things like my identity, my money, etc. And as it should, as we learn that people out there are trying to scam/harm us and use sex and the lifestyle as a vehicle to do it, we also learn to protect ourselves. To me, I think it's especially an issue as I've heard testimonies from older Doms/couples that there is an expectation that the Dom/me pays to have the sub travel. I definitely understand supporting them, as it is something done for both of your relationship, but I also want any transactions to be handled in-person, face-to-face. I've run into it a lot of times where another part says they need gas or they can't afford to travel and expected me to send them the necessary funds. For me, I think it's not unreasonable that someone can afford at least enough travel to get where they are going on their own, and it just isn't worth the risk to me to trust someone that a. I have not met before and b. does not respect that condition/limit that I have in place. Hearing that people don't have that expectation is encouraging
LilGirlLovesKisses wrote:
I stayed based on what I could afford and how much time off I could take from work and being away from home. Ended up just being a weekend (3 days, friday-sunday). When he came to me, it was 4 days and that was because it was New Years and more time off, being able to take that extra day was available. We both would have LOVED more time, but it just couldn't happen. I think when it comes to work schedules and finances, just do what you can do. Don't push yourself, but this discussion is going to be different for everyone. I think the first meet, you shouldn't make it a long trip... just in case it doesnt end up working and the other person isnt stuck there for like a week... A few days is reasonable in my opinion.
It's nice hearing that you wanted to spend more time together after your first meet, even though you ran out of time. It's also nice hearing that you made it work with your guys' schedules. I think it's a good idea to not stay long the first couple times for the reasons you mentioned, although I also want that someone travel has their fill for the effort/expenses that are involved in coming here
LilGirlLovesKisses wrote:
We had discussed ahead of time what we both felt like would be off the table or shoved for a later date. Communication was CONSTANT and ever evolving. Just because I agreed to something ahead of time, doesn't mean that can't change after meeting. So once we met, hung out for a few hours, we both had a conversation to see where we were both at and also re-discussed what I would be comfortable with during the rest of the time I'm there. Even after THAT convo, he would periodically ask if I was still comfortable with XYZ before he'd do it (like impact play) and even then, he started with the bare minimum so he could grasp where I'm at and make sure everything was done safely and without pushing me right off the bat. Safe words/gesture's were established and he made sure that I knew I could rescind consent at any time and he would stop. Just hearing him saying it made me feel more at ease and more comfortable because I knew he cared about me and treated me with respect. That went a long way.
I think the absolute key here with all of this is constant communication. If either a sub or dom isn't safety minded, that for me should be a red flag. When it comes to long distance, there's so much more that could go wrong and if someone isn't taking it seriously enough to make sure that safety and comfortability isn't paramount, then that should be an indication that maybe you shouldn't do it. It's not just the sub that needs to look out for their own safety, its doms too. People are crazy out there.... make sure you stay safe and always come up with backup plans. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
These are good points to bring up too. Consent isn't static, it can change at any time. It's good that your Daddy respects that. Having a discussion ahead of a visit helps set the expectation too, what is okay, what isn't, what you can plan to do together, and what play might be like together moving forward as you approach the decision to live in together. Discussing these points and more will definitely help to set someone's mind at ease, but I always said that there needs to be actions, measures taken as well to ensure it is a safe and fun time. People will say that d/s takes a lot of trust and communication, to which I agree on the communication, but trust alone doesn't prevent someone from getting hurt by someone else. I think of it more like risk mitigation than trust, I don't have a better word for it lol, but things like meeting in public, check in buddies, relaying information to a friend on where you are, what car you got into, what house/hotel you're going to etc. all help people to stay safe, not just in the lifestyle but in dating itself