one of these days, i will finish telling you the humorous tales of dating here in this city. i can't deprive you of the laughs that my girls and i still reminisce about. so, standby, they will come. but for now, i will tell you that in the midst of the brief comedies, there have been stories. love stories. brief as they may be, they have been there. out of respect and reverence for the relationships, i have left them out of here. but they have been real. they have been blessings and curses all in one.

for the first time since i started this dating adventure, i started off with someone and let them know my full intentions...i put every egg in my basket and did my best to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. and that i did. i allowed myself to be vulnerable, honest, and transparent. i allowed myself to care, let down a few walls and give of myself fully.

i can't tell you a happy ending. i can't tell you why either. but i can tell you that i have not a single regret. i am thankful for every second of vulnerability. every minute of normalcy in a relationship. and grateful for the lessons learned...because i will settle for nothing less than what is best...no more games. no more devaluing dances. i will do exactly what i did all over again and know that when the right person stands in front of me...they will not be able to hold back.