I’m a down-to-earth woman who enjoys her life, quick to smile and laugh, a loving mom (9 and 12), close friends and good relationships with her family, no drama, good co-parenting relationship with her ex (thankfully) and a genuinely good person (values, character, honesty, all that stuff).
I love being in my 40s. Maybe I’m a late bloomer, but for me life just keeps getting better the more I learn about myself, other people and what’s really important. I know what leads to happiness, and it’s not money or possessions … it’s relationships and experiences.
Because of how I was raised, I really enjoy the simple pleasures in life. That said, money buys you the opportunity to spend more time with those you love and to enjoy a wider variety of experiences, so that’s my focus for the next 40 years … to do whatever is necessary to create a life where I’m living full out.
I’d say I’ve spent the first part of my life putting others first, so I have no regrets on the relationships front. But now that my kids are getting bigger, I plan to have no regrets on the life experiences front either. No looking back when I’m 80 saying, “I wish I had …”
Like most working parents, one week I’m a mom who is working, packing lunches, driving my kids to school, checking homework, going on field trips, cooking tacos and spending the weekends playing Monopoly, rollerskating and biking.
Then the next week, I’m working, running/working out, relaxing at home, trying a new recipe with a glass of red wine, socializing with friends, going on a date, eating takeout sushi or taking a short trip.
I have a full life, but not so full I couldn’t make room for a really great guy. But I’d rather go on one date a month with someone I’m genuinely interested in than to fill up my social calendar. I can fill up my social calendar without Match, but Match makes it easier to find guys with a similar outlook on life.
A big part of me is a planner who likes stability and the day-to-day things to look forward to with the people in my life. Then another part of me is entrepreneurial, gets excited by what’s coming next, and always wants to be engaged in creating or experiencing something new. I have a peaceful spirit, but I also have a more passionate, intense side too.
I’m an equal fan of the beach and mountains and like a balance of time just relaxing at home and time on-the-go. This year, I plan to learn to play guitar and piano, take voice lessons, try paddleboarding, and rediscover the fun local things to do. I’m slowly adding new things back into my life in balance with being a mother and growing a business. But in 2014, I see myself doing a lot of the things I’ve always dreamed of doing as a result of the foundation I’m building right now.
In the perfect world, I’ll meet a guy who is interested in a long-term relationship where we have fun no matter what we're doing … cooking a meal with a glass of wine, going to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with great food, BBQing on the deck, going to NYC for a long weekend, whitewater rafting, going to a DC museum, paddleboarding, running the occasional 5-10K, playing tennis, taking a weekend trip, seeing music in small venues, going to a wine tasting, etc. But I'm also independent enough to do things on my own (or with my friends) and totally support my guy doing the same. I really feel like people have to be happy individuals to make a happy couple.
My ideal guy is good-hearted, quick-witted, confident, intelligent, successful, 110% healed from his divorced (not separated), a loving father, leads a healthy lifestyle, open-minded, motivated, strong and masculine yet can talk about his feelings with his partner. I don’t have a “type”. The most attractive thing to me in a man is a true, core confidence (not ego) … a guy who is pretty settled with who he is, what he values, how he lives his life and what he wants ... and who is open to sharing his life if he finds the right woman.
