Pleased to meet you all!

Hi!

I'm 26, and, as my handle says, I've never dated. I guess after the past few months I have, but I'm still pretty green. Here is my story.

I started dating my (soon to be ex) husband when we were 15. At 16, I got pregnant. 10 years, his college education, a relatively decent lifestyle as a housewife and four children later, we're getting a divorce. He's bipolar and will not medicate. "I'd rather get a divorce than take medication." He's getting what he wanted.

The marriage "officially" ended in April. However, he left a few months after our youngest child was born in 2009, for about 6 months. The marriage has been, for all intents and purposes, a sham since then. Absolutely loveless, usually sleeping separately, talks of divorce at least twice a month and usually once or twice a week. Finally breaking it off with him is turning out to be one of the hardest (housewife to single mom with no education or real work history to speak of) but best (I am such a happier person and better mother) decisions of my life.

Now, I'm dating. I'm not looking for anything serious, but am focusing on having enjoyable casual relationships and see where they end up. It's just turning out to be incredibly hard to interact with men. I never, ever learned how to romantically interact with the opposite sex as an adult. Many times, I feel like I'm a teenager again. The only times I don't is when the date is looking strictly for casual sex - I never give it, but at least I'm comfortable with the game.

So...yup. That's that. Thanks for reading my mini-novel. =)