It said: "If you think this is hard, try dating in NYC. I was all too familiar with that sentiment. At 29 years old, I had been dating with intention for four years and was ready to meet my ideal partner.
I cycled through dating apps , often deleting them for weeks and starting over, hopeful that doing so would lead to better matches. Well-meaning setups from friends also fell flat, only escalating my disappointment in dating. Every time I tried something new, it became increasingly clear that there had to be a better way.
I wasn't going to attend another wedding alone or be a third or seventh wheel by this time next year. Soon after the marathon, my best friend got engaged to her dream man, with whom I had been secretly working with for months to find her the perfect diamond. I then faced the prospect of seeing my college ex-boyfriend at a wedding I was attending solo. Not to mention, I had recently sent an anti-ghost text to someone I'd been dating, only to receive an AI-generated response.
So when the new year came around, I decided I was ready for change. I'm not typically one to make concrete New Year's resolutions , but I set out to dedicate to demystifying dating and finding the right person. But the more I thought about finding "The One," the less prepared I felt. I wasn't sure how to change my approach and get out of my familiar dating patterns. Then I remembered noticing a self-help book titled, " Calling in 'The One': 7 Weeks to Attract the Love of Your Life " at a friend's apartment around the same time a year prior.
I had found the concept of attracting "the one" intriguing at the time; however, I wasn't quite ready to delve into introspection then. But the more I dwelled on it, the more I realized I had nothing to lose.
