That One Time I Tried Online Dating

My profile picture taken at work on a cell phone. I was not taking this online dating business seriously.

My name is Amy Eley. And I met my boyfriend...online.

Gasp!

Okay, so perhaps there's not really a gasp. Online dating is becoming more prevalent, after all. But I still do pause for a moment whenever someone asks how Jared and I met. It was totally on the World Wide Web. Here's how it all started...

Once my divorce went through, I felt really ready to start dating again. I wasn't anxious to get into anything serious, but I wanted to meet some good men and have hope for my future. The problem was that I really didn't know how to go about it. Most of my friends were married and I struggled to tap into the single scene in Denver completely alone. My girlfriend, Margo, had the time of her life on a dating website (and yes, she actually ended up marrying one of the men she met!), so she eventually started pushing me to make a profile and just see what happened.

Late one night, I bit the bullet. I created a profile on a dating website and within 20 minutes of browsing its members, I freaked out. Send a flirt? A hug? And the dreaded "About Me" section! I couldn't do it. I cancelled my membership, slammed my laptop shut and wiped my hands clean of that idea.

A few weeks went by and Margo slowly began coaxing me back. "You don't have to meet the love of your life," she told me. "Just have some fun."

One month. That's all I would have to give it. Just set up a profile for one month and then I can close the "My Experience Online Dating" chapter of my life.

Well, that short month would change everything....