After being in 3 relationships spanning 13 back to back years, I entered the dating pool of New York City...well, more like the dating ocean/bottomless pit. I've never had to go "fishing" in said ocean (meaning I have never dated - EVER) and let me tell you, it wasn't easy. I didn't know where to begin - so I just threw out a bunch of nets - friends (all are married and have only married friends), coworkers (my industry is filled with sharks) and online dating - do I even need to tell you how that went? Like fishing in the Bering Sea at midnight in a row boat with no bait (get the picture?)... If I did catch anything in these rather holey nets - I inevitably ended up throwing it back... and it was EXHAUSTING.... painful even... Then one day, I stumbled upon a Master Matchmaker sponsored event - well, the event was closed - but the website was intriguing. I figured why not send them my info? The nets I was using were clearly not working and honestly, what's the worst that could happen? They don't respond? Trust me, after several of the dates I had recently been on - NOT hearing back from someone was a welcomed event! But I did hear back - almost right away in fact! I got an email, which led to a phone call - during which they comforted me and told me my (very short-lived) fishing career was not futile and that there was love out there for me - but that I just needed the right tools. Enter my Matchmaker. She got to know me and learned about my dating history (or lack thereof). She then hooked me up with my Relationship Coach. They put me through some drills (making a list of my strengths and weaknesses, making a list of my wants, identifying couples and men who I admire, etc.) and then gave me navigation tools (how to attract people, how to keep them interested, as well as when to cut and run!). But most importantly, they made me take a good hard look at myself and how I conduct myself, as well as how men interpret how I conduct myself. It didn't take me long to realize that I was scaring the fish away - and also why I was scaring them! Silly little fish - they are so skittish ;-) I am happy to say I am now ready to go fishing and I am actually looking forward to it! More importantly, I have the right tools for deep sea fishing and the right bait - me.