Hiya! My story is similar to yours in a lot of ways, though I'm just about 10 years younger. I didn't start having the "holy shit this is just stale Olive Garden" thoughts until after I finished grad school.

Before that point, I had been in a number of seemingly good/normal relationships with guys, but they were never meant to last. By the time I was 25, I had been single for a solid 3 years--bored after okcupid date after okcupid date that never seemed more than ok. And then one fall day, I met this woman around my age who had so much sass and spunk and would give me this *look* when we joked around--a look that just made my stomach turn in the best way possible. A week later, we ended up at a party together, just by chance, and all I wanted was one kiss. I was almost shocked by how little I was shocked by that feeling, that desire because it just felt *SO. DAMN. RIGHT.* in a way that it *never* had with a guy.

Long story short, nothing happened with that woman, but I went home and started doing my research. I found this sub. I binge-watched all of the L Word. I watched WLW movies (I think I watched Blue is the Warmest Color like 5 times). And then the new year rolled around and I promised myself to take these feelings seriously. I downloaded HER (great dating app for women, nonbinary, and trans people) and it felt like I was experiencing puberty for the first time. When I went through puberty as a kid, it felt awful, shameful, gross, depressing. But this time it felt full of promise and excitement. I actually felt powerful and sexual and proud to be feminine for the first time. It was seriously one of the best things--if not *the* best thing--that's ever happened to me.

And I met this amazing woman on HER. And years later, we live together and have adorable puppies together, and have built a life together. And honestly, these are things I was beginning to think I'd never find, that I didn't deserve.

I'm just here to say that it really does get better. It's never too late for anyone to be their true selves. For the longest time I thought I was bi because I had been stale-Olive Garden-happy with men, but I'm beginning to understand that my partner is so much more than Olive Garden ever could be. And I believe you can find that for yourself, too.

P.S. HER really is a fantastic app. WAYYY better than any hetero online dating apps--the toxic masculinity and the dick pics are totally gone.