Email from a Reader

Occasionally, I'm lucky enough to receive an email to my StartingOver@24 account. I always find myself amazed at how many people can relate the circumstances/musings that I write about and decide to take the time to actually sit down and write me an email. I'm flattered that these emails often spill to me (someone who you know only as two letters, an @ sign, and two numbers) some of their most intimate details of past relationships, horror stories on dating, etc.

So let me a moment to say "thank you" to all who have taken time to write.

An email I received not too long ago really struck me (more specifically her second to last paragraph) and I thought I'd share. Maybe because the circumstances are eerily similar to mine.

So@24,

I found you through my friend's blog. You'd written a comment on her PI Blog, but I saw the name and I just had to write.

6 years is a lot longer than 4. But I had a boyfriend all through my undergrad at UW and the summer after we graduated, was moving to California and we were going to break up.

I haven't gotten far enough into your blog to figure out why you and your girl split, but just your title: Starting Over at 24...Wow. It just made me think of when I started over at 22.

Being a girl, I assumed I would eventually marry that guy I had grown up with, fallen in love with, practically lived with for 4 years. Getting back to the scene was both the most liberating and scariest thing I've ever done.

I'm living in San Francisco now, and dating here is nonexistent. At least, I haven't been able to figure out the lingo in relation to the Seattle scene. You said to Jeanna that the Seattle scene seemed easier than LA; I think California in general is nearly impossible to "date" someone. I feel like, everyone sleeps together and drinks together but they never really get to know anyone?

All right. You probably get mail like this every day from silly girls who read your blog and fall in love with your sentiments. I just wanted to say that, I think it's great your documenting your journey. Reflecting on who you meet, what you see, how you feel is such a great way to actually fall in love again.

I wish you the best. And I'll keep reading about your adventures, if you don't mind.

- C