I'd pretty much given up on the idea of meeting my ideal man; previous experience of traditional internet dating had put me off that idea, and the men I met at work, or socially, just didn't interest me. Then some friends talked me into considering the personal ads.
After a few glasses of wine I looked up the personal ads on The Independent website, which redirected me to PARSHIP. I resisted the temptation to exit the page immediately, mainly based on the idea that at least if it was Independent readers who joined then they may be more like-minded than the people I'd met on other websites.
The system listed potential interesting people according to compatibility and I got in touch with a couple of people who were at the top of the list. After a few emails it was clear that Steven and I had quite a bit in common so we met up for lunch. We chatted very easily over lunch, and after discovering a shared passion for cake and pudding, decided to meet up again.
The following weeks saw a mutual attraction continue to grow, as many a relaxed and fun evening was had over glasses of wine, dinner, dancing and leisurely walks, discussing everything from quantum physics, the meaning of life and all-time favourite puddings to intellectual conversations about The Muppet Show! We completed the Edinburgh half marathon together on 1st April, and have since followed that up with the Edinburgh marathon on 27th May. Since the marathons we've had a more relaxed time of it, and spent a wonderful few days in Vienna, enjoying the amazing food, music, ice cream - and of course cake!
It's been six months since we met and for me the relationship continues to grow stronger. We continue to really enjoy each others company, to motivate each other to grow, to discover new places and experiences together, and to help each other through life's ups and downs.
Who knows what the future will bring, but it's certainly been lot's of fun so far!