I'm a hopeless romantic looking for a kindred spirit. Someone who believes in goodness, honour, fate, and true love.

I'm looking for someone who is open enough to let me be part of her life, and is willing to become part of mine. Ultimately I don't want you to just be my girlfriend, I hope you'll become my best friend and my family. So if you're commitment-phobic, unfaithful, a multiple/serial dater, not sure if you're ready for a relationship, still have feelings for your ex, etc. then I'm definitely not your guy. My goal is to find someone who'll be a solid part of my life, permanently. I find the whole "dating" thing kind of tedious and superficial... I just want to settle down and make a life with someone. I want something deep and meaningful, not shallow and casual.

About me: INTJ. Very smart, passionate, with an irreverent sense of humour. Honourable. I'm a K-6 substitute teacher for DSBN, and also do a bunch of work for the teachers' union. I enjoy hiking, walking, camping, sailing, rock climbing, fencing, Taoist Tai Chi, reading, writing, movies, computers... suffice to say I've got lots of interests. I love being outdoors and being active, but I also love cuddling up in a blanket to read a good book, watch a movie, or just daydream. Of course, I enjoy and have much more motivation to do all of the above when I've got someone with me. ;-)

About you (ideally): Actually single (emotionally available), smart, honest, non-smoker, no kids, reasonably fit, shorter than me, consider hanging out in a bar to be terribly boring, be something of a computer geek or at least be reliable for regular exchange of e-mails, be able to communicate effectively, be someone who reads on a regular basis, and basically look at the world similarly to the way I do. Correct spelling and grammar in your profile will also impress me. ;-)

Anyway, if you got through reading all that, and you think you might kinda sorta fit all or some of those criteria, send me a message. I'd love to meet you. I'll grant you the same courtesy I would expect, which is a reply to any message which I receive. (What can I say, I'm a big believer in that Golden Rule thing... Did I mention I'm an idealist? I deliberately put on the rose-coloured glasses, and try to live as if the world were as it should be, to show it what it could be...)

Re: Wanting kids... I've never had any desire to have any. Kids entail taking on a whole lifestyle that doesn't appeal to me, and they suck up time, money, and energy. I'm confident I can have a meaningful, wonderful life, with a great deal more freedom, without children. I do like kids, I just don't want to be saddled with the responsibility 7/24. I like life to be simple. Kids complicate things, exponentially so should a relationship crumble (that's my nightmare scenario... divorced with kids).

BTW, age is 33, don't know why it hasn't incremented yet...

Meeting at a coffee shop works for me (though I'll drink tea or hot chocolate), or anything where I'll have a chance to talk to you and see if there's a connection we can build on.

I'm very polite and respectful of personal space (which is a nice way of saying I'm painfully shy when it comes to bridging the gap between friendship and intimacy), so I'm not the type of guy who's going to be pawing at you all the time. If you think that signifies lack of interest, you're mistaken. But unless you take the initiative (I suggest the "tackle and kiss" method; subtle signs go over my head), I'm unlikely to even try to kiss you goodbye or hold your hand till about the third date. It's just the way I am; I prefer to get to know you, be comfortable with you, and hopefully have some inkling that attraction is mutual (I do warm up and like to touch, I just feel like I'm presumptuous doing so before I know you; holding my hand would be a nice signal that it's ok to touch you). But make no mistake, if I like you, my heart is going to be making giant leaps and bounds. I am an emotional hopeless romantic, after all. ;-)

BTW, if we've exchanged a couple messages but you've decided we won't make it to the first date, I wouldn't mind a farewell message explaining why (instead of a sudden absence of communication, which is kind of rude)... I don't have the best instincts around dating, so feedback would be courteous and helpful.

Also BTW, I admit to sucking at crafting amazing I-must-respond-now introductory messages, but if you give me a chance I can carry a conversation and I've got a lot more depth than you'll realize until you've actually spent time with me (self-promotion is not my strong suit).

Live within 75 miles.
Must not be looking for Intimate Encounter
Must not do drugs
Must not be married
Must not smoke