I recently ended an engagement and I guess the fact that I'm here means that I'm ready to try again. I've always loved the saying "To get something you've never had before you have to do something you've never done before", so here I am. Ideally I'm looking for friends and obviously, dating first with the hopes of finding someone long term eventually, however the one thing I've learned from my past (recent and not so recent) is that I'm not willing to settle for anything less than what I want and if that means I spend the rest of my life single, I'm ok with that.

I am a fiercly independent and intelligent woman who prides herself on being somewhat of a chameleon. By that I mean I can get down and dirty, camping, mudding and playing in the dirt and am not worried about my hair or make-up getting messed up or I can get all dolled up for a night of drinks and theater. I can laugh at locker room jokes with your buddies or impress the hell out of your grandmother, I'm all about flexibility and adapting to the situation. I have very eclectic tastes in television, music and movies and am the furthest thing away from a girly-girl you will ever meet. I hate drama, am honest to a fault and once you gain my trust (which is always a challenge) I will be loyal til the end. I am extremely funny and always try to find the irony/humour in every situation and look at life in a sarcastic, cynical but realistic way.

Deep down I am a romantic at heart but I tend to hide this at first with my dry, cutting humour so that no one can see how truly soft I am on the inside. My dog is the love of my life and I also have cats, so anyone with allergies or who is not an animal lover need not apply. I have a job that I don't always love but am grateful to have and I work shift work, so am not always available evenings and weekends due to my screwy schedule.

I am looking for the whole package...smart, funny, open-minded and willing to try new things. I am looking for someone to experience life to the fullest with and who can teach me new things whether it be skiing or how to drive a motorcycle. I have no tolerance for anyone needy or clingy and you will need to respect my independence and know that if I want to be alone, it has nothing to do with you. I am not looking for one night stands or a string of short term relationships...I am smart and secure enough with myself that I can take care of those needs myself with resorting to casual sex. I also require someone who can keep up with me intellectually, whose feelings aren't easily hurt and who also knows how to adapt to a situation and respects that every relationship in life has boundaries whether you're at work, the gym or meeting my mom for the first time. I also believe that chemistry is essential for a relationship to work but also know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and my taste is different from everyone elses.

If any or all of this sounds appealing to you, drop me a line. I am always open to new friendships if nothing else and you can never have too many people in your life.

That depends on each person. A short coffee date is always good so you can test the chemistry, if it's there, it can turn into a longer date. It's really more about the company than the activity.