This piece was almost over before I would have the chance to write it.

After running across dating blog Date Me, D.C.!, it quickly found a place in my Google Reader. I wanted to seek her out and learn more about the woman who’s “never experienced a coffee date, a blind date, a date you go on as a favor to your mom/aunt/best friend/etc., a bad date, a stood-up date — none of it!” After two long-term, monogamous relationships she found herself single- not a problem when you live in one of the nation’s best cities for single women. With a new sense of freedom and a hint of naiveté, this Cincinnati native set out to experience dating in the city head-on and decided to document her dating adventures for all of us to read.

However a few days after I interviewed her she decided to take a break from dating.

What would that mean? Was it the end of the blog I found so entertaining? Did she grow tired and frustrated with the DC dating scene?

We first met for lunch at Whitlow’s and she walked up to the outdoor table with an outgoing personality and a snarky sense of humor. Unlike other bloggers I’ve met, what you read online is what you get offline. She comes with a straightforward, honest voice when writing and she’s not afraid to admit mistakes, like when she’s constantly late for dates or when she thinks she’s trying too hard.

A copy editor by the day and dating machine by night, she has been dating in DC for over a year and has more stories and adventures than a person might have after years of dating.

She’s figured out what goes into the perfect e-mail rejection letter, had her ex-bf send her a Snuggie in an attempt to get back together,  tried to avoid having dates stalk her on Facebook, taken lessons on dating from a pick-up artist, and heard the best pick-up line ever.

Many of her posts come with self-created charts or graphs that nail her thoughts dead-on. Take this chart on her feelings of Match.com or diagram of sausage parties.

Besides tracking her dates, Date Me, D.C. also keeps a running tally of bars and restaurants she’s been to. A look at the page reveals that she’s taking advantage of her dating life to tour all the popular hotspots DC has to offer. Her favorite bar in DC? The Gibson, aka the unmarked door next to Marvin.

Dating blogs aren’t in short supply in this city, but this one stood out among the rest. Many dating blogs come come with a, “holier than thou” viewpoint or focus more on sexual escapades of living in the city, this one has a very honest approach that really reveals more about the the bachelorette than I think she knows.

As much as she claims to be a bit green to the dating scene she also exposes herself with an sense of insecurity that is both endearing and relatable. She’s battled weight issues, a nagging sense of loneliness, and has found herself hopelessly infatuated to the point she has a self-deprecating mantra to dating to help keep her emotions in check. Many things I myself have dealt with as well.

I suppose if the Date, Me D.C. blog came to an end I would be sad to lose a blog that I was really relating to.

However those thoughts of taking a break from dating were only temporary. She’s already back on her dating horse and her latest chapter of life has taken her to new territories that would come with the growing popularity of her blog: dating people fully aware that they are being blogged about.

Who knows how this tale will end, she confided that once she meets, “the right guy” the dating blog will come to an end. Like TV’s How I Met Your Mother, we will continue to read, laugh, and maybe cry as we all follow the journey of one woman looking for her man, wondering if the next person we meet will be the one to end her blog.

Date Me, D.C.!
http://datemedc.blogspot.com
@datemedcblog

Patrick Pho

Patrick has been blogging since before it was called blogging. At We Love DC Patrick covers local Theatre, and whatever catches his eye. Patrick’s blog stories, rants, and opinions have been featured in The Washington City Paper, Washington Post Express, CNN, Newschannel 8 Washington, and NBC Washington. See why Patrick loves DC.

You can e-mail him at ppho [at] welovedc.com