The Reality of Dating

'Tis the season for The Bachelorette. You know, the "reality" dating show where one woman dates 25 guys to find her one and only prince charming.  And last night, was the grand finale!  It came down to two guys: JP and Ben.  Personally, I was rooting for JP, but both were great guys who were attractive, smart, genuine, sensitive, etc.

Now, if only real life could be like this...

Post-grad, I'd think that it would open a whole new world of dating possibilities.  Mature young men, who have careers, responsibilities, and education.  There should be a plethora of eligible bachelors, right?

Yet... this doesn't seem to be the case.  So, where does one find them?

1. Bars/Clubs: Naive me, thought that going out into the city to mingle with guys in their mid-twenties would mean that they were suitable to date... I soon discovered that most are simply over-grown frat boys.
2. Friends-of-Friends: This could work well... if my friends lived any where near me.  Buttt, we've all dispersed across the country.  New friends might be needed...
   
3. Luck and Happenstance: You always hear the cute stories of how couples met in line at the super market, or in a bookstore, etc.  But let's get real here - most likely not gonna happen.

So, what's a girl to do?

A more and more common solution: Online dating.  Oh yes, desperate times call for desperate measures!  In all reality, something like 20-30% of all relationships start online.  So why not?

There are surprisingly a huge number of sites, all different and customized to a different niche:

Want to find your "bashert" (preferably doctor or lawyer)? - Try J-Date

Can't wait to share your Sunday pew with someone other than Jesus? - Check out Christian Mingles

And then of course there is Match.com, OKCupid, Plenty of Fish, EHarmony etc.  They all serve the same purpose: to find someone you truly want to date and have a connection with.  Easier said than done, but all dating is difficult and time consuming.  I can actually vouch for the fact that several of my friends have found their serious boyfriends from these sites, so they must be good for something.

Honestly, all these changes and transitioning into the real world are a bit exhausting and time consuming.  Who needs the additional stress of dealing with men?!  Online dating is a great solution to just have fun - go on some easy, non-committal dates, and see what happens.

Or if all else fails, plan B - sign up to be a contestant on next season's The Bachelor/Bachelorette

                                                                     XOXOXO
                                                                                   BB