I know exactly where you are journey2happiness. I just turned 29 and I have never been sweept of my feet either, or rather I have fallen for guys but they have never felt the same way. It ends up with me really hurt and scared to fall for the next guy. In the last 10 years I can count on one hand how many crushes I had. None of them even lived in the same state I lived in, I think I was choosing guys who were hard to get so once they lost interest it didn't hurt as much, even though it always did hurt just as much. It gets real difficult at times when I look around me and everyone I know is in love and having babies and I'm not. I want to start online dating but I am scared out of my wits. I even recently made a thread about it, you can read more about my story on this subject here:http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=129789

I had my first boyfriend when I was 20 and a sophomore in college - that lasted about 3 months and was really a joke of a relationship. In between then and graduating from college, I had some interests and I suppose what you could consider silly college flings, but no more boyfriends for me. A month after I graduated I moved 7 hours away from home to Nashville to attend a 6 month school. I was by myself, didn't know anyone, and definitely knew there was probably no chance in **** of meeting a guy there. Out of boredom and a little bit of curiousity, I signed up for match.com (I'm not recommending the online thing if it makes you uncomfortable, just sharing my story). I got a few emails, met a couple of guys for dinner throughout the 6 months I lived there, but nothing really panned out. I was 22 and was coming to the idea that I would just never find anyone who could possibly love me for me (I am a quirky person so I wasn't sure there was someone out there who could just take me for me and nothing else). A week before I moved to my current location (Northern Virginia, outside DC) I got one last email from a guy who would be living 15 minutes from where I was going to be. I started talking to him online, and it was amazing - there was absolutely nothing sexual in any of our initial conversations (it seemed like most guys you meet online ask some kind of sexual question 5 minutes after you start talking to them). So this guy seemed different just because he was talking to me like a normal person, not like he was trying to get something out of it. When I moved back to Virginia a week later, I decided to take the chance to meet him (I took my roommate just to make sure it was safer). Our first date was kinda akward because I get shy around new people, plus he seemed like such a normal guy, just laid back, that I was a little surprised. This was November 2005.

Fast forward to today - we are engaged and getting married this October. I NEVER thought I would find someone who could just love me for me - with all of the quirkiness that comes with me, but I found him. I do believe that there is someone for everyone - some people find that at age 16, some at 26, some later on, but there is someone out there. (This coming from the girl who swore off ever falling in love because of so many crappy situations with different guys throughout my younger years).

You are only 20 - I remember when I was 20 and after I was out of a horrible 3 month "relationship" I thought I would never find someone who I could love and who could love me. But I found it - it jumped into my life when I least expected it and was ready to give up for good, so just try to be patient and you might be surprised by meeting that special person when you least expect it.

BornToFly thankyou for sharing with me the post and the thread. Yeah, I really do also feel the hurt when I like the guy and he doesn't like me back. Online dating my experience has not been enough but fo the little while I tried I did not meet anyone or had that much luck finding someone. But then again I went on the sites that were the free ones. For other people I've heard and read it worked wonders for them! :They have the smarts and patience in picking and choosing guys and girls and know how to sense discrepencies in their characters. lol...I'm bad at that...I can be dim as a lightbulb at times!

NoVaVTFAN- I'm happy for you that you met someone!! You're right I'm only 20. I'm going to work on myself in the mean time but I hope love comes my way by surprise. (I know sounds corny when I say it over and over...but hey I'm a hopeless romantic!!) By the way I'm also quirky..very quirky...lol it comes naturally. We quirky people stick together! chyaw! *hugs*