Online Dating - It's a Secret Life!!

"Please don't tell anyone I'm on Match.com."

"It's hard for me to admit but I'm trying online dating."

"I don't know how to tell people I'm dating online."

"No way I'm telling people we met online."

"What else should I say instead of -we met online?"

These are just a few of the comments I'm hearing about Match.com and other online dating websites. Why are people so scared of telling others that this is what they are doing? Is it because of critical people and judgmental people that we ALL know and love? 

What are people scared of? Where does this fear come from? Is it just the fear of the unknown and unconventional? What is conventional? When your parents set up arranged marriages for you? When your dad knows this great guy that he works with that makes good money and doesn't have a girlfriend? When it's a friend of a friend?

OK... well, what if you've exhausted all those options? What if everyone your parents know is already married now, or you've met some of them and there is no way on God's green earth would you consider dating them? And what if all your friend's friends are married now? Then what do you do?

Go to bars and dance clubs? But it's the same song and dance time and time again... same people, different faces, and different names. Especially, after 30 - you don't really feel like getting smashed, making out with randoms (I mean unless you had a REALLY rough week - haha!), and God only knows what else. After 30-ish, it's just not as fun... nor is it necessary. Frankly, I'm just as content going to dinner with friends or being at the gym for an extra hour... or just relaxing at home.

Grocery store... although this seems safe (perhaps unusual, but safe), I'm usually in my gym clothes, no make up on, no shower, straight from the gym, and typically hungry so I don't really want to be bothered. 

The Gym... this seems safe and definitely appealing to those of us that like to work out and would love to share this hobby with someone. But again, gym clothes, no make up on, no shower, straight before or after work, head phones in, trying to finish your set to get on with your life... or over to the grocery store to feed those new muscles. Hahaha!

What option do we have left? Online dating, of course! Here's the ultimate question though... why are we ashamed of online dating? Why would we be ashamed to admit that we are busy professionals that are independent, career driven, and goal oriented that we are now over 30 and finally ready to find "the one"? Why are we afraid to tell other people that we are being smart, efficient, and safe with our dating tactics?

I, for one, AM PROUD!!!!! I am proud that I am able to weed through a LOT of men by simply reading their profiles. After that, texting a few times, having a phone conversation, having a coffee date, and/ or having a dinner date. I love being efficient... AND in a means that is effective! You can read through a lot of bull honkey in profiles... And let's not lie to ourselves, by profile pictures! Honestly, you have to be somewhat attracted to the person you want to date...

Dating free of expectations, free of obligations to friends, free of any guilt whatsoever, is amazing! I have learned a tremendous amount about life, what I like, don't like, what I can put up with, and what I can't put up with. Most importantly... I've learned a great deal about myself, my own behavior, my own reaction to all sorts of different people. And just more about me, my own revelations in life, and just who I am in general. 

This blog will be about the do's and don't's of online dating (I'll have some really awesome and witty examples for you), some of my crazy experiences with stage 1-5 clingers, some of the most wonderful people I have met along the way, and my amazing personal journey in all of this. Hope you can take something away from this! If anything, a little laughter can go a long way!

So enjoy! =)

XO Nina