u/Low_Image_1467

A month and change of history after meeting on a dating app, they’re pretty bad at texting but I usually get a phone call or some sort of touch base. They went on vacation about a week ago and I haven’t heard from them at all since. We kept in touch nearly daily when I was away, but I guess I can’t expect the same from them. I feel stupid waiting for their name to pop up on my phone, and even if it does after they’re back, I’ll feel like I’m just being kept on a bench. I’m not going to presume I take any kind of priority in their lives after just a month, but this is clearly a sign of no/low interest, right? Texting someone takes less than a minute. It’s so hard to give people the benefit of the doubt these days.

35F, was in a relationship with the same man from ages 19 to 34. Once we broke up, I was fully convinced no other man would ever be attracted to me (he was not very nice about my body and was brutally honest about it). Spent the year after breaking up too heartbroken to try and challenge that thought, however in February I met this insanely gorgeous man (30M) on one of the apps and ended up sleeping with him the day after we met. Nothing evolved past that, but I met another man (also 30) a month after and slept with him on the second date. We hooked up a couple more times but have lost touch.

My qualms are, I grew up with the “don’t give it up too soon” mindset because men would allegedly never respect me enough for anything serious if I did. 50% of me essentially wants sex ASAP and the other 50% is battling unspoken shame. How do I balance these feelings?

14 year relationship, over for a year and some change now. We are the deepest level of strangers. His face is gone from my phone, his belongings donated, I don’t remember his phone number. I don’t know where he is or how he is. His FB picture hasn’t been updated in years, his Twitter dead, his Instagram blank and private. He simply does not exist as a person in my life.

But I logged into my Playstation and there he was, online, playing his favorite game. Someone will say a phrase he used to say and his voice is clear as day in my mind. His favorite pastry is always on sale when I go to Publix and I almost pick it up because he’d be happy.

And the sad reality is that I never want to feel like this about another person again. I don’t want someone else’s face in my phone, their dessert in my shopping basket, or their numbered saved under favorites. Because the every day torture of them becoming a stranger is just too much.

Maybe it’s part of the Sunday scaries for me, but I feel such an intense loneliness. Everyone important in my life is partnered and they keep telling me to be patient and focus on loving myself, but none of that really takes away the sheer emptiness of having no one to call yours or the loneliness of an empty bed at the end of a long day. 0/10 experience across the board.

Currently commute from Fayette county and absolutely hate the drive. I’m able to do a lease transfer (Camdem apartments) but really not sure what areas to look in as I’m relatively new to GA. Rental budget hopefully <1800 so just really need an idea of what is considered a good area to live that would put me at a ~30 min commute.

Recently got a new role close to Atlanta, and the commute is already killing me after just a couple of weeks. I told myself I would endure it for the 3 month probation period but my exhausted mind and body are already regretting it. It’s an IT role so I will eventually have the opportunity to work remote on some days, but I’d rather avoid the hassle and just be close to the office. Commute is about an hour and change in the morning, and is going up to 1.5 hours in the evening. My only hesitation is doing so within the probation period. Thoughts?

35F here.

I am always reachable, always on my phone no matter what I have going on, I respond to texts quickly, I am always in the loop. I’ll even take a peek at texts if I’m stuck in traffic. I’ll always answer phone calls and don’t make people wait. However, the people in my life are not like this at all. Everyone has something going on - partners, kids, demanding jobs, bustling social lives, things to do in general.

I have a full time job but I’m home and available pretty much all the time after it. I’ve tried different hobbies such as joining classes, I schedule movies, I’ve gotten puzzles and crafts and go on “solo dates” but I am still just looking on my phone, waiting for a notification from someone. It’s like I don’t exist until someone else needs me or acknowledges me, like I am an idle NPC in a video game.

How do I get truly busy and not so easily reachable? How can I make myself feel like a person outside of others’ lives?