Delving into Internet dating

My palms are sweating and there's a knot in my stomach the size of a basketball.

I glance — for the hundredth time — at my reflection: fix the hair, check the teeth, add some lip gloss.

OK, I'm good. Here I go.

I've got a date — with someone I met on the Internet.

Now, I know what you're thinking: really? the Internet? are you crazy? or that desperate?

I've heard it all before, especially from my best friend, who is not-so-secretly worried I've totally lost all sanity.

Yes, the Internet. No, I'm not crazy nor am I desperate. My attempt to meet new people on the net is a result of sheer boredom, plain and simple.

At the time, I had been living in Merritt for nearly a year, working at a newspaper, and was tired of the selection — or lack there of — of eligible bachelors.

Now, if you've ever lived in the tiny mill town and were single, you know what I'm talking about. I'll leave it at that.

Discouraged and feeling frustrated with my flat-lined romantic situation, I remembered an online dating site my best friend and I had jeered and scoffed at a few months earlier.

I figured what have I got to lose? So, I set up a profile and started checking out the virtual dating scene.

After scouring prospects in Merritt — and, not surprisingly, was disappointed — I broadened my prospective search-area to include Kamloops.

And let me tell you, there are a lot of single men from the city on this site.

So, I chatted up a few people who seemed interesting — and by interesting, I mean had other things besides beer, camping and off-roading listed on their profile. And after shifting through a copious amount of e-mails, many with lewd comments about my appendages, I came across Dean.

Nice guy, smart, good job and could actually type an e-mail without spelling mistakes — a serious faux pas in my books, an occupational hazard.

We exchange a couple of messages, then talk on the phone and then the big question: do you want to meet for coffee?

That's the scary part. I've never done anything like this before. What if he's not want he claimed to be? what if he's a stalker? or a serial killer? But, I figure coffee in a well-lit, busy area is safe enough.

Sure. What the heck.

Lips glossed and hair did, I head down to the pre-determined java joint to meet this digital dude.

Early, I get my coffee, doused with too much cream and sugar, turn around and see Dean coming through the door.

He's a lot shorter than I expected.

Fight or flight mentality kicks in. But it's too late to run — he's already spotted me and is walking over.

So we sit at a table — by the door, just in case — and uncomfortably look at each other for a few seconds.

"So..." I begin as he launches into his preamble at the same time.

And then I realize, he's more nervous than I am. This revelation actually eases my anxiety level and I relax.

So we talk for about an hour, covering a variety of topics from kids to job to travel, and said our awkward goodbyes.

Hands in my pockets, I say "Nice to meet you and I'll see you later."

Coincidentally enough, I was offered the job at KTW and moved back to Kamloops a few weeks after that.

I never did see Dean again.

However, stepping out of my comfort zone boosted my confidence level and, even though it's still nerve-wracking to meet someone for the first time, I now know that I can.

After all, there are plenty of fish in the virtual sea.