I get blown off all the time when I reach out first which isn’t very often. And ghosted regularly, too.

FWIW, I think you should continue to write thoughtfully when making the initial contact. It does separate you from the pack and will hopefully pay off for you!

Everybody ghosts everybody. And it sucks. I REALLY try not to do it very often! (And I definitely don’t if I have made plans or even loose plans with someone. I will cancel or follow up in some way.)

Good luck on your search, Tim!