venturing into new frontiers

Yesterday I was doing a little research for a blog post I wanted to write about dating in Memphis when I came across this list of the best and worst cities in the U.S. for singles. And I don't really know why what I'm about to tell you shocked me, because cruel irony is a central part of my existence, but you will just never believe what city fell just shy of being among the top 10 BEST cities for meeting Mr. Right.

Jersey Effing City, New Effing Jersey.

The cities on the list were ranked based on a few different statistics, like the percentage of the population between 18 and 24, and the percentage of that demographic group who are single. Other factors included venues for meeting people, how expensive the city is and how the locales ranked in online dating.

Memphis ranked No. 66 on the list, not totally off the charts horrific for singles but not totally fabulous, either. Of course there are big differences (for me) between Jersey City and Memphis, the first being that I actually know a few people here. By virtue of that alone I'm more likely to meet people or be introduced to someone through friends. And there's also the fact that I actually care to meet a guy who lives in Memphis, whereas I did NOT care to meet really most anyone who lived in Jersey City. And I STILL got to know some of them a WHOLE lot better than I would've liked.

So here I go, diving into the (hopefully not TOO contaminated) dating pool in Memphis. Actually, this city hasn't had very good luck with pools in recent history so perhaps we should scrap that analogy. Scene. Dating scene. That'll work. A little less drowning, a little more drama? Probably fairly accurate.

I have no current plans for speed dating or singles nights or any other various forms of torture, but since I do so love to entertain y'all I'm not ruling anything out. For now this announcement is probably far less dramatic and exciting than it sounds, because really all it means is that I'm here and I'm single and I'm batting my eyes suggestively at cute boys in public and sending them subliminal messages to ask me for my phone number. So far no success on that route, but I promise you will be the first to know.

It's going to be interesting to date here, if only because I never really have. Save the Match.com fiasco the summer after my freshman year of college, but can you really call Donnie Drug User and Scottie McStares-At-Your-Chest DATING? Really? I'm not calling it that, because deleting them from the "Guys I've Dated" heading makes me feel less like I'm six degrees of Kevin Bacon from getting offed by a Craigslist killer.

I've dated in London, I've dated in New York, I've dated in the metropolis that bests them all -- Murray, Kentucky -- but never my hometown. I'm interested to see just what kind of shocking specimens of men exist in this city. And since I've recently decided that I'm basically looking for the male version of myself, EFF this whole opposites attract thing, I'm also wondering if any one place is really big enough to hold two people as ridiculous as me. If it is, we will probably find each other even from the farthest distance like high-grade magnets because like attracts like, and crazy most definitely attracts CRAZY.

I'll keep you posted.

cheers,
elizabeth