Oh, the illustrious “about me” page. I understand that it’s important to know whose advice you’re reading about and to get a background, so I’ll sum it up: I grew up in central Florida and currently live in southern Oregon. I rent. I vote. I’m a contributing member of society, and

I’m committed to helping you find and maintain a successful relationship.

With sites like eHarmony and match.com, the dating pool has grown exponentially. This does not mean it’s gotten any easier to navigate the waters. People are people, on or off line, and while dating online might seem a more viable option, if you’ve had little success with dating without the aid of matchmaking services, there may be some things you should think about before starting up an online relationship. Or any relationship, for that matter.

I’m not an expert. I don’t have a Ph.D. I haven’t written any books, my articles haven’t appeared in any peer reviewed journals, and I’m not a counselor.  I’m a girl from Oregon who got asked to write about relationships for no other reason than I know what I’m talking about.

There isn’t a formula for finding a mate, and not everything I say will be applicable to everyone’s situations. I’m more than willing to answer any questions via email, should you have them (I reserve the right to publish them in this column, just a little FYI).

If you have topics you’d like me to address, let me know.

I draw from personal experience in a majority of the advice I dispense. I met my husband online and we’ve been together for three years, six months of which was a long-distance relationship (yes, they DO work. You’ve just got to put in a bit of effort). I’ve had countless phone conversations with friends regarding their relationships; my parents have been fantastic role models. I know what makes a relationship functional (example: communication; Guitar Hero) and what makes relationships fail (example: unverbalized expectations; slutty wives).

I read a lot of books. I’m observational. Most importantly, I genuinely want you to be a part of a successful relationship.

With this column, I’ll hopefully be able to help get you at least part of the way there.