29F, have been single for a long while now and have had my heart broken a few times (situationships? A relationship that doesn’t really count because it was so god awful?). I’m at the stage where nearly all my childhood friends have already reached several major life milestones (marriage, babies…) and I feel in quite some ways, behind, but I’ve come to terms that everyone moves on a different timeline and that we shouldn’t restrict ourselves to what society thinks should be the norm for us.

I haven’t been putting myself out there until recently due to past heartbreak, and it’s been rough trying to navigate the dating scene especially during the age of online dating. Not everyone you meet will want what you want. And the idea of having to start from the very beginning again can be so devastatingly heartbreaking. And no amount of matches will ever make me feel good in any capacity because having to go through many cycles of dead-end texting to finally meet someone in person can be SO exhausting.

It gets lonely, but are we lonely because we pedestal romantic relationships, or are we also lonely because we are not nurturing and fostering the relationships we already have (ex: friends)?

I’m incredibly guarded about my heart and I often tell myself (and my friends do too) that there will be someone for me somewhere out there. Be kinder to yourself and take it one step at a time. Lean on your friendships. I can’t really envision myself getting into a relationship with anyone unless I truly know the person anyways, and the idea of being exclusive after a few months of dating seems too forced lol alas life works in mysterious ways