The Guinea Pig

According to www.match.com 1 in 5 relationships start online. 

The people at match also gaurantee that when you join, you'll meet someone special in six months.

Ever the skeptic, but also curious, I decided I'd give them one.

So, after consulting a few girl friends, I signed up for a 1 month subscription on match.com.

I figured that, best case scenario, I'd have a a few fun dates and maybe hit it off with someone. 

Worst case? I'd go on some truly awful dates and come away from the experience with a few good stories!

I wasn't exactly stoked to get started, I'll admit. I rarely checked messages and so-called winks.

I corresponded with a few guys who seemed pretty cool, but didn't have the nerve (or enough interest) to go out and meet any of these guys in public. I'm a great flirt, but beyond that, I'm not willing to invest much time in someone or something that doesn't completely intrigue me. I know that sounds bad, and the admission takes a lot!

On a whim, I led the cursor on my computer hit a button that said "reverse match" 

(meaning, someone looking for someone like me)

The first picture I saw caught my eye. He was a handsome guy with dark hair and green eyes. He didn't have an overly embellished or detailed profile, and his looking for was pretty simple: a nice girl. I saw that he's from Ireland, which piqued my interest further...Gerard Butler in P.S. I Love You, anyone?

So, I winked.

Less than an hour later, I had an e-mail from the Irish import.

Less than a week of e-mails later, I got a text.

And in less than two weeks on match.com, I had a date.

The first actual "online dating" date I went on was pretty great.

The second date was even better.

The the third? Awesome

So, for almost month now,  I've been dating this guy:

Meet Paul

On our fourth date, Paul asked me to be his girlfriend, thus making us a real couple.

...I surprised even myself when I said yes.

Paul and I

Paul is sweet, funny, attentive and kind. He is unflinchingly honest, which is (I think) a big reason why I was so drawn to him. From the first time we spoke, I never felt a need to hide who I am, thanks in large part to his own honesty about who he is. I'm never wary around him. My hand slips easily into his without any thought or effort. I love when he touches the small of my back or puts his arm around me, 

or when he kisses me hello or good-bye. Mainly because I know it's genuine, but also because I'm just as crazy about him as he seems to be about me. I love the smell of his clothes and the stubble on his chin. I love his accent and the way it sounds to hear him refer to me as his girl. We're still in the honeymoon phase. You know, the part of a relationship where everything is new and exciting and everything your sweetie does is just so darned adorable. But honeymoon phase or no, I'm just enjoying the ride.

The verdict?

Online dating is pretty much the same as "regular" dating. There's are people from all walks of life. You're not going to connect with everyone, and just because a computer survey tells you that you're compatible with someone, you aren't neccesarily going to be. But, then again, maybe you hit it off with someone awesome. It's one of those don't knock it til you've tried it things. I'm certainly glad I tried it.

So, is this *it* for me? Is this thing the real deal? Is it true love?

Stay tuned...

Oh, and PS: Gerard Butler is Scottish, not Irish.