It's been a while since I've been on a first date — 1,614 days, to be exact. And I certainly don't miss it.

From figuring out what to wear and what to do to making forced conversation, deciding who pays and trying to gauge whether there's actually any sort of connection … the whole experience is (usually) so awkward. And the worst part is when you realize quickly that you don't vibe with the person at all … but you still have to finish dinner or a round of drinks before you can politely skedaddle.

I was on the ol' dating apps for a long time, but I usually only fired them up if I was bored, drunk or both. And probably 99% of my "matches" never made it to an in-person meeting. Admittedly, I usually lost interest quickly.

And it's not because I was overly critical or unserious about meeting someone. It's because I value my time, and I don't want to waste it. See, I'm the kind of person who is perfectly content being alone. And until I met someone who was going to add value to my life (as opposed to making it more complicated or stressful), I had every intention of staying that way.