No worries but I should clarify a little bit though.

Expectations can absolutely be high but the key is to find someone with the same expectations as you. I do know one couple who's first date was skydiving and their wedding was a destination ski trip. The key is that that was who they both were before the relationship. Either one of them would not last in a relationship where dates are coffee shops and bookstores and such. It's not "showy" relative to their usual selves.

If your idea of a good time is visiting the local gardens, and your date likes butterflies, then you've got a first date. If your idea of a good time is a rock climbing gym and your date enjoys editing together videos, then build your first date around a GoPro and a climb.

The lady in the original post met the guy in an art class, her expectation was probably to go get a coffee and visit a museum with his favourite local painting or something that they could talk about. Nothing fancy, just an expression of himself.