So many percent of all women have had a one night stand at some point.

A one-time fling is not for everyone: some find it too dirty for words. But there are also plenty who find it enjoyable.

In the Netherlands, we are generally not too prudish. Certainly, one in five women in Holland has tried it at least once: that drunken flirting with a handsome guy you just met, followed by starting a wild fling and waking up a few hours later with a sore throat and a fancy walk of shame waiting for you. Recognizable? That you have to search for where on earth you are with your four percent battery and a terribly hungover cat because you have no idea which neighborhood of the city you are in. How. Do. You. Get. Home. You flee out the door while the guy is still sprawled out snoring, because, eh, that cone, that half lick of mascara at the bottom of your chin and all that nakedness... Awkward. Last night everything seemed blurry, such a worldly plan. Now it’s terrible and you long for your own bed. For the route to your own house. And an ibu.

Ah yes, the world of one-night stands is a unique one. It gets boring quickly but it remains addictive, that idea. You just want to experience something. And you know what it is: it’s more about the hunt, the game, than the act itself. Sure, it’s nice that all that flirting and lurking and kissing ends in a session of sex, but it doesn’t even have to. Everything leading up to that act is already so exciting and fun. Being single and hunting and liking someone and him liking you back and then such an evening that completely spirals out of control... It has its charm. In Finland, women do it en masse: there, 44 percent have had a one-nighter at least once. We can still learn something from that here in the Netherlands. It makes men happy in the pub.

Ah, whether you’ve never done it or have done it so many times you can’t count anymore: do what feels good for you. And the only golden tip is, of course, not to throw your underwear too far away in that bedroom. The sooner you can quietly sneak out of the room in the morning. And do send him a nice message.