The Rules of Between the Matches

Welcome to Between the Matches—a blog I created to document modern dating as a divorced (almost) 30-year-old. In this first post, I'll share a little about myself and explain what you can expect from the stories and people you'll meet throughout this blog.

First, hi. I'm a 29-year-old woman living in the suburbs of New York. I was married for two years to someone who had been a family friend for years—a dream that eventually turned into a nightmare. This blog isn't intended to trash my ex-husband (although I could probably fill an entire website with that content). Instead, it's about what comes after: rebuilding, healing, and trying to find love again.

The end of my marriage wasn't easy. There was plenty of hurt, reflection, and growth, along with a fair amount of drama that could rival a reality TV show. After taking the time I needed to heal and move forward, I finally reached a point where I felt ready to put myself back out there and start the next chapter of my life.

Almost exactly one year ago, I downloaded Hinge and began dating again. Along the way, I documented everything—from creating my profile, to conversations, to first dates, to relationships, to heartbreak, and everything in between. The stories you'll read here are real, though names and identifying details have been changed to protect everyone's privacy.

This blog isn't meant to offer dating advice or claim to have all the answers. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that modern dating is messy, unpredictable, and often impossible to understand. My goal is simply to share experiences, tell stories, and hopefully provide a few laughs along the way. Over the past year, I've learned a lot—not just about dating, but about myself and the life that exists in the spaces between relationships.

As I approach my 30th birthday, I've been making a few "30 before 30" lists. One includes 30 classic movies everyone should see that I somehow haven't watched yet. Another includes 30 ways to celebrate turning 30. Some are simple, like dinners with friends or watching the sunset down the shore. Others push me outside my comfort zone.

Starting this blog is one of those things.

I have no idea how long Between the Matches will last, but for the next 30 days leading up to my 30th birthday, I'll be posting daily to catch you up on the last year of dating, lessons, mistakes, red flags, green flags, and everything in between.

Thanks for being here. I hope you'll join me for the journey and enjoy the ride.

- A Match in Progress