Excitement of online dating may be found in many places, but none more so than taking a conversation to your own email. When you meet someone online that you are excited enough about to trust with your personal information (that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?), you’ve hit the jackpot. Actually, you’ve accomplished what you’ve set out to do: meet someone meaningful.
But where should you draw the line regarding when to take the conversation offline? When is it acceptable for you to offer your own email or phone number without sounding needy or desperate? The good news is that the answer lies within you. Answer: whenever you feel you’re ready.
The fact that this point focuses on you should be no surprise. You should work to your own pace. And you should feel comfortable enough in your own skin to know when that is. But what if you don’t? What if you read that above sentence and thought, “Really? That’s what you’re telling me?” Answer: yes. That’s what we’re telling you.
If you don’t know what that spot is, that may because you haven’t truly centered on that as a facet of online dating. Robert DeNiro once said, “I never walk into a room I don’t know how to walk out of.” That’s a good philosophy for online dating. We encourage you to actively think about where you draw your line in the sand. Online flirting/talking is one thing, but if you meet someone you want to truly learn about, then you need to know your own parameters.
Side note: flirting to me always seemed like a poker tell for when you like someone enough to not kill the moment but not enough to put your money down. When I met my fiancee, I was all in from that moment on. That may not be the cool answer, or the suave answer, but when you meet someone with that potential, why not push all your chips to the center of the proverbial table?
So when do you take the relationship offline? When you feel comfortable doing so. Period. If you’d rather talk some more, then talk some more. If you’d rather message once or twice more, don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself. Remember, you’re always worth fighting for. And so is who you’re talking with on LFGdating. When it’s right, your line in the sand will match the other person’s line in the sand. Who knows, maybe they were waiting for you to be comfortable all along…