To those who were talking about the difficulty in meeting someone once you are past the college undergraduate age group - I completely agree. Most of my friends (as opposed to my boyfriend's friends) are married and paired off, and they don't tend to have large gatherings or parties (or at least, not those that I'm usually invited to.) I'm also very shy about talking with new people (though I've improved in the last few years) and - without being self-deprecating - I am not the sort of woman that men are usually attracted to in a large party, and people don't really come up and introduce themselves to me most of the time.
So several years ago, I had recently healed from a really terrible breakup and sudden combustion of a long "friendship" and was ready to start dating again, but had absolutely no means of doing so in my then-current social circle. One of my coworkers recommended that I try online dating, but I was really reluctant to sign up for a site where I would have to pay or where some automated system would match me up based on my interests. However, I figured that at best, I'd have the chance to meet new people, and at worst I'd end up with funny anecdotes from really terrible dates.
So just to see what was out there, I decided to browse the Craigslist personals section in my city and emailed a few men who seemed like they were likely to be intelligent and down-to-earth and not just looking for a quick fling. These posts were pretty few and far between, but they *are* out there sometimes.
I was very lucky to come across my now-boyfriend, who had a very cute little post talking about his interests along with some funny, not remotely self-conscious pictures (including one of him in a very hilarious Halloween costume.) He was the only guy I really hit it off with enough through email to be interested in meeting up in person. When we met, within our first few dates, we were both very honest about what each of us were hoping to find long-term. We really got on well and have been together ever since - a bit over 3 years.
I realize that online dating is *not* for everybody, but I also was pretty sure it was not for me, either. After I shared this story with a few friends, I learned that several of my friends also met their significant others through Craigslist personals.
That being said, having a romantic partner is not the be-all-and-end-all of my existence, and I've been through long stretches of time where I was perfectly content to be single. I've also experienced a relationship where I was basically being lied to the entire time - and in comparison, I'd *much* rather be single and happy with my life rather than tied to someone who didn't respect or appreciate me.