I was making fun of my brother for doing the same thing as I'm now doing a few months back, but I guess the shoe is on the other foot! I work out of town as a teacher, and in the profession of teaching unfortunately, there aren't too many single women, at least in my building. Some of my friends have had success in the past, so now I feel like I'm finally willing to take a shot myself and see how it goes. A snapshot about myself... I'm a 27 year-old elementary school teacher who truly enjoys working with children, but realizes that life is much more than work. I like to cook especially on the grill, which I do year-round. I also enjoy working out several times a week, and my new favorite hobby of the summer is mountain biking. Although I do work as a "professional" now I still enjoy having fun in my free time and joking around with my co-workers. I believe that balance between work and fun is the key to success for anyone. I'm looking for a girl with similar interests as me obviously, who is also goal-oriented but hasn't forgotten what it means to have fun. I think I'm pretty honest, outgoing, and generous, and I'll mention that honesty is a huge ingredient for dating success.

For the first date, it can be either a quick dinner or a full night, totally depending on the two involved and their connection. I would start off with a simple dinner at a sit-down restaurant or meeting at a coffeehouse: get to know each other, see if there's anything there. If not, no big deal go your separate ways. It things are seeming to come together, then we could go somewhere for more conversation, someplace like the mall or a movie. Like Ryan Reynolds said in Van Wilder, "first dates are interviews", which always makes a great relief when they are over, whether it was a good or bad one.