I was the little boy that grew up on soap operas and fairy tales. I believed in true and ever-lasting love. I believed that one day my prince would come. Love and romance is what I longed for, but was faced with obstacles at every turn – insecurity, self-doubt, and ugly people jumped in front of my path like a black cat. Every failed prospect, uninterested beau, and unavailable boy was a crushing and devastating blow. I felt pain and heartache with the intensity of a category-5 hurricane. And I’m prone to hyperbole. I can’t help it, both my rising sign and Venus are in Scorpio. If you’ve studied astrology like me, or just glance at a beginner’s guide, you’d know that Scorpios are INTENSE. I have to believe that’s what it is; otherwise I’d have to call myself emo…and I could never get my hair like that.

That’s what my teen and most of my twenties were like. I scoured the Internet and hit all the gay bars in Chicago that I could. I looked for guys everywhere, but I had never been the casual one-nighter guy. The longest relationship I ever had was two months until I turned 29 and moved to LA. Then I progressed to six month relationships. All I ever wanted was the other half of my supercouple – my Luke, my Frisco, my Bo. Can you imagine how lonely and exhausting that is? Every cute boy I met who gave me any sort of attention was this potential great love. I was searching for the one, so I wished and I hoped and I prayed and I dreamed and I convinced myself and I chased… and I chased. Why do they keep running?

I guess as a writer, I was always creating these great stories in my head as to how the relationships would go. I was intent on writing my own love story instead of letting things happen to me. But things did happen, and now I have stories – stories to share and to draw from.

Now here I am starting my 30s with a, hopefully, new perspective and attitude. With two significant relationships behind me, I’m diving into those frigid, murky waters again and ready to see what kind of men LA has to offer me. This time around I’m taking things as they come, I’m in no rush. I won’t be chasing anyone…Well…no promises. Let the misadventures begin.