My First Dip Into Dating After Divorce Feels Like a Rom-Com

I forgot what butterflies felt like! Plus, we share party dresses and answer two reader questions.

Hi! How was your week? Things are ticking along around here, but one thing that’s making regular life feel sort of fun and exciting?

Getting into a dating mindset.

When my marriage ended last winter, I decided to take a year for myself. Some of my friends began dating right away after divorce, and that worked well for them. But I craved time to take a breath, hang with friends, freshen up my house, watch Frasier reruns, and clear my scribbly head.

Now that 10 months have passed, though, I’ve felt more compelled to get back out there. It’s hard to explain, but I’m feeling more ‘in my body’ now, like more physical — even the cold wind feels different on my arms. An old guy friend came by the other day, and since we were both tired, he joked that we should take a nap together, and afterward I kept thinking about how nice it would be to sleep next to someone. I feel ready to kiss a handsome guy on a street corner and (yada yada yada) scramble some eggs the next morning?

Also, I’ve been enjoying a soft, unexpected entry into dating with someone.

Here’s what happened: A few months ago, my friend lamented that there were no cute guys on dating apps in NYC. “I scout things online for a living,” I told her. “I’ll be able to find the good ones.” She laughed and challenged me to try.

That night, back at my apartment, I logged into Bumble, put in age and location filters, and began swiping. Honestly, the pickings were slim — guys who seemed much older than they said, men with unbrushed hair and unmade beds, a photo of a brown shag carpet with the caption “chubby married guy starved for affection.” Um…!!!

But before logging off, I swiped one more time and saw a VERY cute face looking back at me…