I left 2023 and entered 2024 in a way I didn’t expect to.
Shortly after leaving the human version of a “red flag” behind, I went on Hinge and unpaused my profile. Two days after unpausing my profile, I matched with a man who lives in Brooklyn (two days before his birthday). Shortly after matching, I sent him a message.
For a moment, I thought the conversation was going to go in a different direction from where I wanted it to go. Boy…was I wrong. It went from messaging on the app to texting each other to planning our actual first date.
First reaction was complete shock because I was communicating to a man who was looking for the same exact thing I was: an actual relationship that would lead to marriage and having a family.
Nonetheless, we continued to text whenever we could. The weekend before our first date, he told me that he was in Atlantic City for his birthday and he was going to buy something for me. I told him that I didn’t want anything but if wanted to get me something, I would appreciate the gesture and he should surprise me with it when we meet.
A week after communicating, we had our first date in NYC.
Needless to say, we were both nervous and wasn’t catfished. We gave each other a hug, then proceeded to be seated at a table. There were some speechless moments in between conversations, which quickly went away after some food and liquor.
After we were done eating, he paid for the meals and we proceeded to make our way to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. As we were on our way there, we held hands and discussed different topics about ourselves.
When we arrived, we took a few selfies and some with help from someone who noticed us. Shortly after taking photos, we had our first kiss which happened naturally and wasn’t awkward. We ended our first date by him ordering me an Uber home.
I opened his gift the next day (a small Coach change pouch), and expressed my appreciation of the gesture because it showed me how much he cared about me without even meeting me.
It also showed me the type of man he is and how he shows his appreciation towards me.
Since then, we’ve been on 4 dates between NYC and Jersey City, and will be celebrating our two month anniversary (and early Valentine’s Day) in Atlantic City.
Now, I’m happy to say that I’m in a relationship where the communication is amazing, intimacy isn’t forced, the interest and dedication is present, the reassurance is clear, and the foundation is getting stronger by the day.
We are now planning and pursuing the things we always wanted to do with a partner, and making sure to do what we need to do so our future will be a lot better than how things are now.
To think that if I would have passed on him, I would be in a position where I would not be happy in. I am so grateful for him because he loves with his whole heart and shows it, and knows how to keep me happy and loved despite everything we have been through in the past.
Gone are all the times I thought what relationships were because now I’m learning and experiencing what it really is and what it feels like to be in one.