First boys, then job, then blog

That was my intended order of operations for the evening. I deviated somewhat and chose blog before job. I'll get to applying to that sushi restaurant later...

I decided a little over a month ago to try online dating, but seeing as how I'm unemployed, opted for the free site OkCupid. There are a surprising number of decent guys on there. But man, is it time-consuming. Someone once said to me (actually, many someones) that "internet dating is like a full-time job." They aren't kidding. I never even browse other people. I respond to messages and look at people who express interest in me. These two actions alone take forever.

In the last few days, my inbox has been inundated with messages from a few potentially decent guys and I realized it's now or never if I want to try talking to them. The thing is, not but a few days ago I told my friend Margaux that I would be putting a halt on dating until I found a job and a new place to live. But how can I be expected to ignore cute boys who message me about sandwiches and spelling?

Here's my problem with the internet dating scene: It's so incredibly easy to misrepresent yourself, even if you don't do it intentionally. I tried to put realistic photos and descriptions of myself, but that doesn't mean I didn't choose ones that I thought I looked cute in. And when I write to someone, it's me writing in all truthfulness. But, when you have all the time in the world to calculate exactly what you will say, you have all the time in the world to show off the cleverest and most date-able version of you. Just because you have verbal chemistry, doesn't mean it will translate into true, real-life attraction.

I think what I'm learning is that if I'm going to take this seriously, I need to spend less time messaging and creating a false world of wit and instead meet them sooner! That way, if we really don't have a romantic connection, we can either move on or be friends without the awkward task of ending a relationship that became fairly intense through conversation. I'm not sure I'm prepared for the high level of emotion that the up-and-down nature of this kind of dating demands...

I gotta get a real job so I can really focus in on my dating job. When I told Margaux I had four boys to respond to, she laughed and suggested I copy and paste the same message. Only to follow with "it really is like looking for a job. You copy and paste and then end up editing so much anyway." Truth!