Holly, 31

What do you do?
I'm a nurse.

Where are you from?
Kensington, Maryland. Right outside D.C. I'm here doing security for the campsites.

What's dating like in D.C.?
It's interesting. It has a different dating vibe from any city I've ever been in. D.C. is a pretty transient area. People come there for jobs, and after they work for a couple of years, they tend to leave, because it's too expensive for most people. Most people who work and live there are very career- and money-oriented. When I ask, "What do you like to do?" all people talk about is their jobs and their careers, and I would actually like to hear about what people like to do. For me, it's not a very dating-friendly scene.

What's your relationship status like now?
Dating. I moved to the D.C. area five years ago, and my intention was to live there for a year and then move to Colorado and to do the family thing and move out west. Being a nurse in the ICU, I quickly realized that you can't work one year and move comfortably to another job. The funny thing is, every time I say I'm going to move to Colorado, within two days, I find an awesome love interest.

How do you attract guys?
I don't approach them sexually. But my friends have noticed that when I go on vacation, I connect really well with adventurous guys, usually the guide or instructor for whatever activity we're doing. I've met guys on whitewater-rafting trips.

How did you meet your current love interest?
I was planning on moving. I was setting up to end my lease early. And one day, I went skydiving, and I'm now dating my skydiving instructor.

That's great!
I know. I was with a friend who wanted to go for her birthday. The plane was the smallest plane I have ever seen. My friend and I were strapped to our instructors, and so he and I were basically lying on top of each other and you... get to talking. I was like, "This is kind of cozy; he's kind of cute..."

What about him interested you? Besides the fact that your bodies were so close together.
Most people I date are outdoorsy and adventurous. Those are the people I can really relate to. I asked him where else he'd been skydiving, and when just kept naming places in the United States, I thought it was crazy that he was thirty-seven and had never been outside the country. So when we landed, I told him, "Write your information down. I'm taking you out of the country." This wasn't a dating proposal, I was actually just flabbergasted he had never been outside the country. So we exchanged information and he called me later that day and we went out to dinner that night. I came back from skydiving and I was at work, and one of my co-workers asked, "Is skydiving better than sex?" And I gave her this funny face and I was like, "How about skydiving and sex?"

Have you taken him out of the country yet?
Well, we've been dating for a month, but he's in the process of getting his passport.

But you were getting ready to move, right?
Yeah, it's kind of going to be a fling. I told him a while ago, but I can tell he's really into me. We started talking one day and he told me he was falling for me. He's already started talking about moving to Colorado.

Are you usually this spontaneous?
Yeah.

Do you believe in true love?
Absolutely. I've been in love, so I know what it feels like. I know what I want in a relationship.

Have you ever offended anyone in bed?
I've had people cross the line. I might be a sexual person, but I'm not a crazy sexual person. Some people flat-out talk so damn dirty, and it's just like, "What do you think I am?" When people talk to me like I'm a piece of meat, it doesn't mix well with me at all.

Have you ever offended anyone?
I don't really like going down on guys. It's not my thing.

Do you receive then?
I do receive, but not because I expect it or ask for it. I'd really rather just have sex.

What is the one thing you wish you could change about the opposite sex?
I wish they were more honest. I don't like games. I want someone to flat out tell me what they want.

 

Adam, 23

Who are you here to see?
My Morning Jacket and Arcade Fire.

What is your relationship status now?
As of a week ago, not single anymore.

What's your girl like?
Easy-going, laid-back, fun, energetic, different.

How to you go about impressing the ladies?
Being nice. Working the Southern charm. I'm the type of person to be overly nice to someone and then let them come to me. If they really want something, they'll see that I'm interested.

How do you feel about the saying "nice guys finish last"?
Dating-wise, that's not true. If girls care, they're going to like the way I am and it'll be a longer-lasting relationship than if they were with someone who hit on every girl.

Do you have any good hookup stories?
Once, when I was growing up, my parents caught me three times in a row on the same night. It was my girlfriend from high school. We were both still virgins. There was a bedroom above the garage, and my dad must've gone outside and seen the light on, because he walked in on us and he was really pissed off. He took us downstairs and sat us down in the living room and said, "We don't need to be having sex." And he let us go. We were really stupid and went in the car, because I was going to take her home. We ended up in the backseat and my dad came outside and knocked on the window. And I was like, "All right, all right, let me take her home." So we drove two blocks down and parked along the side of the road and he came and found us really going at it. And he's just like, "Okay, this needs to freakin' stop." It was awful. Worst night my life.

Anyone ever offend you in bed?
No, actually. Everyone's been really nice. Really kind.

What are your dating dealbreakers?
Being really upfront. I like the chase more than the finish. To me, something that starts really fast will end really fast too.

Most daring place you've had sex?
Oh, I once did it in someone's little brother's bedroom. I was nineteen and we were at someone's house and that was the only room that was open. The bed was smaller than a twin size. It was a really tiny, weak bed. There were stuffed animals everywhere. The walls were blue and had clouds everywhere. Afterwards, I felt terrible. But it was worth it.

Most desperate thing you've done to get laid?
Bragging a lot. I just tell them I'm an engineering student. I work in the railroad industry and travel a lot. I say that because it's a good field that makes a lot of money. It's worked before.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
No. I see a lot of girls who turn me on, but I don't think any of them have a future with me. You see a lot of rich old men with young girls and you know they didn't meet because of love at first sight.

Does love happen at Bonnaroo?
Not really. Everyone's so sweaty and dirty.

Have you hooked up here?
Yeah.

At your campsite? Is that hard?
Yeah. I'm more cautious than she is. Last night was more impulsive than anything. It was really hot and sweaty. That isn't always bad, but when you're trying to sleep afterwards, it is. And our neighbor's tent is a foot away from our tent, so you have to be really quiet.

 

Batt, 27

Where are you from?
New London, Connecticut.

What do you do there?
I'm a bartender, amongst other things.

Do you get a lot dates through bartending?
No. I get hit on, but I never follow up on it. I just flirt and I make more money off it.

Who are you here to see at Bonnaroo?
Honestly, my friends and all the other people who enjoy this subculture of camping and enjoying life. The camping conditions here are disgusting, but people are living in complete harmony. This is my second year and I'll continue to keep coming. This year, it was totally overcrowded, though.

Any good hookup stories?
Once, I'm having a big party at my house and this girl just tackles me, and we start having sex in my pantry during the party. In my mind, I thought it was a soundproof booth, but everyone in my kitchen knew exactly what was going on. We tried to sneak back into the party; we thought we were stealthy ninjas. Anyway, she left. I planned on passing out, but I found two girls in my bed. I had sex with one of them on the bathroom counter.

Any dealbreakers?
When girls pee on me. It's like marking your territory, and it's like, "I'm not fucking yours."

Have you ever been offended in bed?
Once a girl said, "Well, that didn't last long at all!" Or when a girl wants to kiss after going down on me. That's disgusting.

Any crazy exes?
I had a nine-year relationship. Everything was going great, until seven years in when I think she lost her mind. She always accused me of cheating. Honestly, I've never cheated. I'm also the one who walked away from a nine-year relationship, so that kind of makes me crazy too. She still won't talk to me.

What's the most desperate thing you've done to get laid?
I hid a girl's keys so she would sleep over.

Most embarrassing stories?
I went to Cape Cod for a buddy's bachelor party. There were two girls there. One was cute and one was a Marine nicknamed "U-Haul." I passed out on the beach one night, and when I made it back to the beach house, she was in my bed. I crawled in thinking we could just share, when she made a move. I was the little spoon. I pretended I was asleep when she started touching me and I got a boner. I pretended to wake up when she started going down on me and said, "Actually, can I just get a backrub?" She was really pissed off and said, "Are you fucking kidding me? Are you gay?" I told her I was. She gave me a backrub anyway.

Interviews and photography by Ruth Tam. Want to talk to strangers in your town? Email submissions@nerve.com.