Why Online Dating Is Not For Me

So it's kind of a funny story... One that I never expected to happen to me; yet, it has. It's something I feel the need to share my experience and opinions on, for whatever reason. Maybe it's to help someone else be more open minded or to help someone else be more close minded. Whatever the reason... here is my story, my experience with...Online. Dating.Back in the Summer, both of my sisters grew tired of my apathetic dating life. I wasn't actively searching for people to date and that drove them crazy. So one day, against my wishes, my younger sister (yes, I'm outing her actions) stole my laptop and signed me up for an online dating site. I was furious. I hiked for hours that afternoon, just trying to relax/ figure out if it was something I could actually do. To me, it felt like defeat, and I wasn't ready to admit defeat. I hiked until I the sun set, until I had no option but to head home.I stared at my computer for a while... blogged to pass the time... then decided to open that dreaded profile page. I had already received a surprising amount of messages; most were exactly what I had expected to find on a dating site- they ranged from strange to far too bold. My sister logged on from her computer and we sat on the phone, exploring the site, together. By the end of the night I told her she would get one month out of me, that's all I was willing to give. More messages than I had ever expected starting filling my inbox. For a girl who doesn't date much, it was surprising... and I sort of enjoyed the "attention". I let my inbox pile up and then one day decided to narrow down the "options" and replied to any that looked like they could potentially make a good match. A little while later, I really had it narrowed down to two. After an official date with one, it was clear we were no match. But the other... that was a difficult situation.To make a very long story short, this other boy and I "dated" as much as we could. He was after all, living in Germany (not from there) and all we had was technology. We face timed, snap chatted, text, emailed, facebook messaged, and even sent a few things via snail mail. But in the end... after being convinced he was the one for me... he broke my heart. He broke it good. That relationship lasted through the end of Summer and all through the Fall. By the end, I was exhausted. We had both deleted our dating profiles when things had started moving forward and I had no desire to get back on, anyways. That is, until a month later. I was working late, one night, still trying anything to keep myself distracted, and with one click, my account was reactivated...My goal this time was to not rule anyone out without giving them a decent chance. I talked and talked and talked. I'm so sick of talking about the basics of my life "My name is Gentri. I like to travel. I'm a makeup artist. Yes, I really am 4'8". But I stuck to my goal; if anything, it was to please my family and help me move on. This time I dated... a lot. Once again, I only gave myself one month; that month is almost up and I am done. Not that the dates have been bad- I have met some really great guys... But I have come to the conclusion... online dating is not for me, and here's why:We all put our best image forward online. What we share is the best version of ourselves, not that that doesn't happen when we first meet someone in real life, but it's different. Online, we create this image of ourselves and when that image we've created doesn't match up in real life- it's disappointing. Now, I am not saying these guys were disappointing... who knows, maybe I was disappointing to them; but they were always different than what I had built up in my mind. It's not fair to them- my inability to separate reality and online profiles; and that is why online dating is not for me.When you meet someone in person before knowing much or anything about them- there are no preconceived notions, no pre-made judgments about them... well, for the most part. But online- we're not seeing each other for who we really are. There's no real movement, no voice you can hear or actions you can see. I am well aware that this door swings both ways- I do the same thing- I too put my best foot forward. But that is why I will not be renewing my account for a third time.Now, I am fully aware that there have been many success stories that have come from online dating. I even have a few friends who met their significant others that way. But for me, it's not ideal. You would think that with my experience in blogging and the blogging community here in Utah I would be used to that sort of thing- meeting people online, then making a good connection in real life. But apparently it's different when it comes to dating. Obviously, I had that first good connection, but that didn't end well. Not to say they would all be like that and maybe I shouldn't be so quick to form an opinion... But I like to think that personally, six months of online dating is quite enough for me.Have you ever tried online dating? What are your opinions? There's so much more I feel I could say, but I already feel I'm rambling. So maybe I'll do a follow up post, one day.