As Natalie and I were discussing my current dating life (the intrigues of match.com are quite interesting), we were realizing just how stressful it is to be in the dating stage where you don't know where you stand with someone because you may think that you really like someone you're dating, but even with exclusivity, I'm still not sure what it takes before you become committed. So with that in mind, here are some stressful things about the process of dating.

• Because you barely know the guy, everything you do has the potential to make a bad impression, so while you try to be yourself, being too honest too early can make you look bad.
• There are all these rules about things you're not supposed to talk about on dates, but somehow I can't ever seem to remember what they all are, so I'm sure I break these rules all the time.
• Dates are very much about finding out if you have chemistry with someone, so there's a lot of pressure there; if he doesn't feel attracted to you, then it feels like it was a waste of time.
• I don't normally get very worried about my appearance, so this anxiety about looking ugly is not how I usually feel, and I'm uncomfortable with these thoughts. I am extremely tense about what I should be wearing, especially after that random girl mistook me for a lesbian before my first date. That shot my confidence in how my outfit looked that night.
• Even if you know you have a lot of things in common, it can't be guaranteed that the conversation will flow well, and nervousness can contribute more to that. And then that nervous talking thing may take over for me, and I might sound like a rambling idiot.
• Anytime I mention something on a date, like the fact that I like to sing, there's usually some sudden pressure to perform because then the guy wants to hear you, and singing acapella at the drop of a hat is rather difficult.
• Inevitably I reveal that I haven't dated much, and I'm not entirely sure this makes me look all that confident. I am insecure about men finding me attractive, but I don't really think that is something that I need to reveal at the outset.
• Even eating has a lot of pressure attached because you don't want to eat anything too messy that you could clumsily drop all over you or that would make your breath so bad you can't stand near the person.
• Trying to come up with fun activities for a date can also be stressful.
• Sometimes I would prefer to just use the first few dates to go out to dinner, the movies, bowling, etc. and then just spend the next few times you hang out chilling at home watching movies or something because the pressure of always picking a good place to eat can be difficult. I would also like to just be able to take walks. I love taking a nice walk, holding hands, and having a good conversation.
• Certain guys expect more early on because they're used to women who are very attracted to them and want to move faster than sometimes I do (at least faster than ultimately I want to go). I think I need someone who complements me in my normal style of going slow because if the guy wants to go fast, and I'm into him, I may be more likely to go against my natural inclinations, and then I feel guilty.
• I have a lot of anxiety about not being the type of girl who men want to be in legit relationships with; I know I'm a relationship girl, so I'm not just going to hook up without any expectation behind it. I believe I am the kind of person who is more suited for relationships because I am more serious, but finding someone who's also ready for that can sometimes be hard. And then if you think you've found that guy, that can be hard too because what if he changes his mind? All your eggs are in his relationship basket, and he is sort of there with you, but if something happens before the actual commitment, then you're back at square one. Constant anxiety seems to go along with dating even when it's just one guy!