Missed Connection: What It Means & the Best Ways to Find & Rekindle It ASAP

You locked eyes from across the room, sparks were flying, and then… they disappeared. Don’t fear—there’s still time for you to find your missed connection.

Have you ever shared a moment with another person, felt a spark and a connection, only to miss the opportunity to share contact details? It can be truly heartbreaking, especially if you don’t know how to find a missed connection.

Maybe circumstances at the time prevented you from being together. Perhaps you have experienced true love at first sight but were too shy to act on it at the time.

There’s one of two things you could do in that situation: you can accept that the moment is lost forever and move on, or you can attempt to reconnect with your lost love in the hope that they felt the same in that fleeting moment. If you choose the latter, then that’s where we come in to help.

[Read: Love at first sight – why we fall, how it feels, and 21 signs to prove it’s real]

True stories of love lost and found

Taking a leap of faith to go and find your missed connection may seem like a long shot. You may assume that the odds are against you, but here are four movie-worthy love stories of people who have successfully found their missed connection.

1. Couple reunite and marry after 60 years

Cynthia Riggs and Howard Attebery met in 1950, both working in the same geology lab. It was love at first sight for Howard, but unfortunately, Cynthia was involved with another man at the time. In February 2012, more than 60 years later, he decided to take the leap of faith and send Cynthia a coded love letter to the only address he could find. The letter read: “I have never stopped loving you.”

After months of exchanging letters, they decided to meet. Howard, then 92 years old, met Cynthia, 82 years old, at the train station with one single red rose. Within one hour of reuniting, Howard had proposed. He moved across the country to be with her the following year, and they were then married.

2. Man tracks down lost airplane love via Twitter

24-year-old Irish Jamie Kelly met a young Canadian woman named Katie when they were seated next to one another on a flight from Barcelona to Dublin. After conversing throughout the entire flight, they were forced to part ways at passport control when they reached their destination. After waiting for her on the other side for some time, he gave up hope when there was no sign of her.

Despite only knowing her first name and the fact that she was from Nova Scotia, he took to Twitter to find his lost love. He launched a campaign under the hashtags #loveatfirstflight and #findkatie. The internet appeal was spotted by Katie’s relatives who then put her in touch. Against all odds, the love birds managed to get back in touch and go on a date.

3. New Yorker creates website to find the girl he spotted on a crowded train

Australian-born magazine intern, Camille Hayton, caught the eye of Patrick Moberg on a busy subway train in New York. They locked eyes several times during the journey, but he lost her in the crowds when they both departed the train.

The young romantic, determined to find his mystery lady, set up a website dedicated to his search. He included a drawn picture of her, along with details of the train journey they shared and his contact information. Within hours, his e-mail inbox was overflowing. A friend of Camille contacted him and sent him a photo so that he could confirm her identity.

4. Woman reunites with her knight in shining armor

The 23-year-old Caitlin has just moved out into her first apartment. Her dad had bought her a vacuum cleaner, which she had to carry the thing halfway across NYC back to her apartment. On the way there, she bumped into a homeless man, who became a bit agitated, to say the least.

He followed Caitlin home, and when she approached her door, he looked ready to hit her. But then, Caitlin’s knight in shining armor *or a red scarf* body-blocked her and saved the day!

After fleeing back to her apartment, Caitlin went straight to Craigslist to write a Missed Connection to find out who her savior was. Against all odds, he found her post! We’re happy to say that this romantic tale ends in a happy marriage.

How to find your missed connection

These stories prove that although the chances may be slim, missed connections can turn into found connections. So, it’s worth a shot! Here are ten things you can do to help you get in touch with your mystery love interest.

[Read: 35 must-knows to impress a girl on the first date and win her over in 30 minutes]

1. Write down every minute detail

When you have limited information about your lost love, every tiny little detail counts. So, if you decide to pursue a search, it’s a good idea to make a note of every bit of information available before you forget.

The exact time they caught your gaze, the location, their first name, items of clothing they were wearing, maybe they were eating a BLT sandwich at the time… It’s all vital information that may come in handy!

2. Enlist the help of your friends and family

The key to finding your missed connection is spreading the word. Start with your immediate friends and family. Inform them of your search, and even if they think you are crazy.

They are likely to be supportive enough to help you out through retweets and statuses on Facebook, or perhaps if the person lives in your neighborhood, they might even recognize your description!

3. Return to the meeting place

Perhaps you saw the man or woman of your dreams at a coffee shop or supermarket. It’s possible that they may visit the location regularly. Try returning at a similar time of day, perhaps you might meet them again and muster up the courage to ask for their contact information.

You might also want to try to put up posters containing your vital information in the general vicinity of the fateful location. If they return there at any other time, they might spot your poster and give you a call. [Read: 41 casual conversation starters to use with a guy to get him talking]

4. Google what you know

This might be a shot in the dark, but sometimes Google and other search engines can return relatively successful results with very little information. It is possible that if your prospective soul mate is pretty active on the internet, you could well find them using just a first name and a location. It is worth a try! [Read: Easy dating advice for introverts – 19 tips and tricks!]

5. Search social media

In this day and age, most people are active on at least one major social network. If you are convinced that the person lives in your area, try trawling through mutual friends and the “People You May Know” lists on Facebook.

Or search for their first name, if you know it. Perhaps you have an idea of their profession? Why not try a search on LinkedIn? [Read: The single’s guide to flirting on Instagram and how couples end up cheating]

6. Use a location-based dating app

Even if you aren’t usually active on apps such as Tinder, they could prove to be a very useful tool for your search. Set your location parameters to include the area you encountered your illusive love and get swiping.

What’s more, if you manage to find them on one of these apps, the chances are that they are single!

7. Launch a Twitter campaign

Twitter is a powerful tool for spreading the word. Use a catchy hashtag and beg your followers for retweets. Most people are fond of a love story so you will likely get them on your side. The message can spread fast, and it is so simple to track any responses that you might receive.

If it can work for Jamie Kelly, it might work for you!

8. Post an ad in the personals

This is a classic, tried and tested method. Send details of your search to your local newspaper, some may even have a dedicated section for missed connections. You can also Craigslist Missed Connections or Reddit. You never know, they might be looking for you too!

9. Create a website

Set up a website to house all the details you have about the person and your meeting. You could include a drawing of the person in place of a photograph.

Social networking sites often give you a limited amount of space to post your information, so it is useful to have a website to direct people to. You just have to hope that the person you seek comes across your dedicated site, or at least someone who may be able to put you in contact. [Read: Am I in love? 41 fuzzy signs of being in love that’s beyond lust and crushes]

10. Use the postal service

This is maybe considered an outdated method of communication, but it is a useful one if you happen to be in possession of any postal address that may lead you to your lost love.

Perhaps, your missed connection is someone you went to school with and you happen to know their parents’ address. Your letter may find its way into the right hands.

If you did find your missed connection, what comes after that?

Let’s say that you follow all our tips and then, by some stroke of luck, BOOM—you’re finally in touch with your missed connection. But while you were focusing on finding this person, maybe you didn’t even consider what you’d do once you were reunited. You don’t want to blunder this again, so what do you do?

Well, date them! Just because you two have a minute amount of history together doesn’t mean that the fairytale romance starts here. Before that happens, you have to ask them out on a date. [Read: 32 secrets, steps, and ways to ask a girl out on a date and get her to say yes]

Oh, and get their phone number this time!

Is it even worth chasing after a missed connection?

Before you dismiss that fleeting moment of connection, consider whether that person might actually be the one for you. They could be your soul mate! Yes, you may run the risk of failure or rejection, but knowing that you tried is always better than regret.

As you can tell by our tips for how to reconnect with a missed connection, it’s hard work. It’s difficult, and it’s honestly unlikely to get you results. But what if it does? How happy would you be if all the odds worked out in your favor, and you found the love of your life?

Honestly, it sounds like something out of a movie. So what’s the harm in trying? Just go for it!

[Read: 69 best and most romantic movies that are a must-watch in 2023]

In this day and age, such a gesture of romance is so refreshing. So, why not give these ways to reconnect with your missed connection a try? Connect with them before it’s too late!