Date men from United States / California / Berkeley, 43 year old

Date a soulmate from Berkeley, United States. I want a woman who has a story to tell. Things haven't just happened to her: a much as she could, she has shaped her life around things that happened and things she has made happen. If it's hard already to find someone who can truly shine through a date, I do want a woman that keeps shining afterwards, too. I want a woman so awesome she makes me lose some of my confidence.
Born and raised in Italy, eventually got enough of it, moved to California 12 years ago. First San Diego, then The Bay. The bay rules. I like to think I managed to retain the best of my old world roots. I also believe we are all entitled to our own delusions :)
I consider myself down to earth. I like simple things. As I might once in a while enjoy the change and dine out at an upscale restaurant or have fancy cocktails for drinks, that's not my thing for sure. I am not a big fun of sophisticated and 'the finest things in life', which I strongly believe should be listed under the unified category of pretentious crap. I am very opinionated on the things that matter less, I will crave for your opinion on what matter most.
I am not a planner. I don't make reservations. I like to go on trips where I don't know what it will be. I like to enjoy the process of getting there at least as much as being there. I used to say I'd never drive to the top of a mountain if I could find a way to hike or bike up there. Then I discovered the driving can be good if you are very good company! A growing love for the open coast has made me dream about reaching new and old destinations by the stroke of a paddle, which is a dire clash with my deep dislike for cold water.
To be: more outdoor than indoor
To get to know people: more face to face than from behind a computer screen
To get from here to there: more two wheels than four, more pedal power than internal combustion
To drink: more wine than beer (btw: what's up with everybody preferring red over white?)
To eat: anything but garlic and cauliflowers
Politically: more left than right but I can't stand politically correct
Off-land: more on the water than in the water, but I often get in the water by accident
What I am looking for:
1) Enthusiasm
2) Passion
3) Future
Also, it wouldn't hurt that you have your own things and I have mine. Some match some don't. We have fun together with the ones that do, we like each other for the ones that don't
And here's what I am NOT looking for:
1) you are INSANE
2) you can't smile
3) you are delusional: there is a disconnect between your profile and the real you
4) you don't know how to make an effort
6) you are not passionate about anything
7) you suffer from online dating shopper mentality syndrome
8) you did not wonder why 5) is missing
9) you are not fun
10) you are not. well, I think you got it!
Final considerations. Random dating can be fun and "interesting", no doubt about that. Then it comes the time for anybody, on his or her -nth first date, when you wish for no more first dates. I believe I'm there now. I also believe the English language should have a less awkward way to mean "his or her" than actually having to say "his or her" every time. Anyway, well aware we all still deserve a life between now and then (the last first date, not the breakthrough in the English language), in the meantime I stay open to anything falling within or nearby the categories of fun, lighthearted, no bullshitting, you seem nice, you look pretty, let's see where this goes, let's hope it goes somewhere nice.
Now, let's make best use of these few hundred characters left. First date: a few times I got this surprised look on her face, as she comments on how I look just as my pictures. Those are MY pictures! Shouldn't that be what to expect?? Sadly, that does not seem to be the norm here in cyberdating world. So, at the risk of sounding shallow, I expect that you look like your pictures too. Checked that, we can talk personality. A date shouldn't feel like an ambush!

Meet a man from Berkeley, United States. Where is it that love can be found? A buffet perhaps, with serving spoons that have exposed the bottom of the meaty dish and tongs communing with the disheveled salads? Or in the inbox, labeled, "For your eyes only."? Nobody writes that anymore, except cagey spy-people. Perhaps Love is found in a box, on the reception table nearly invisible among all the other ornately wrapped boxes, boxes, and simply inscribed: "For: You." Who-mmmm? "You!" "From Kris Kringle!" And there's the rub. It's all so intriguing and far fetching.
Personally, I hope it (Love) is found at a picnic where friends and friends of friends bring their best: poppy salad, roasted peppers, vermicelli lots of sesame oil, baked siti w/ eggplant, the chicken smothered in tarragon butter, calabrese salad, the curried pork chops, the Louisiana links and, of course, the designer cupcakes.
He smiles, "Where'd you buy these?" She raises a kind eyebrow, "Buy?!" What could be an awkward moment is savored by both. She says, "Wha'd you bring?" He says, "The chicken. . . and the coleslaw. . . no, the one with raisins" etc. . .
That fact that she also climbs and dances salsa and is a Zen student and loves Istanbul will unfold with the afternoon. Better yet, their amazing differences will come out as well, and the fact that the start of their friendship, their romance is contained by the setting of friends, family, good food and laughter is just perfect for both of them.
As one friend put it, "The whole online dating thing is like a buffet" not a picnic, "so many choices." Be that as it may, I'm willing to bend the metaphor a little bit, not 'cause breaking rules is cool or edifying in a relationship, but flexibility enables one/me to overcome the occasional bumps in the road that are inevitable in every relationship and in every life. ttys!

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Date someone special from Berkeley, United States. I worked in NY and moved here last summer. I'm ambitious and would like to meet someone with substance. I don’t have an ex wife or kids but would like to start something slow that has potential. I enjoy just about anything including camping, dinners, music, motorcycles, travel and overall have a very adventurous side. I'm financially responsible and while I work very hard I like to have a good time as well. I'm honest and trustworthily and expect the same.

Meet single man from Berkeley, United States. Some study showed a while back that women respond more to profile pics when the guy is looking away from the camera, off into the distance. The evolutionary biologist in me thinks that maybe we’ve evolved to value guys who look like they’re looking for game. In case this is true, I’ve included a few “Looking for Game” photos in my profile, although I’m not yet shameless enough to use them as my main profile pic. (Yes, that’s right: my friends and I really have nothing better to do with our time.) Let me know what you think. Or don’t: I suppose that’s also an answer of sorts.
In case you were wondering: I don’t actually spend a lot of time looking for game, being a vegetarian. Nor am I an evolutionary biologist, although I kind of wish I was one, after wishing I was the guy who predicted the Higgs boson (I guess that would be Higgs). That said, I do spend a lot of time doing things that would be useful if we ever returned to a hunter-gatherer existence: tons of trail running (sometimes barefoot), rock climbing, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, etc. So I’ll be ready when the Apocalypse comes.
What else am I doing with my life? A friend and I have an ambitious project to sample 500 different beers at various Bay Area locales. We are keeping a record (beer, time, place) and have astoundingly stupid pics to go with each beer. I’d show you those, too, except that they are scary and I don’t look nearly as dignified as when looking for game.
There is arguably more to me than you see here, but I’m not sure how far I want to go in an online profile. If we meet, I’ll gladly ramble on about my love for California, how much I miss my dog, why I speak Polish even though...why would I?, why I’m afraid of the Russian police, and so on. Or, we can just talk about you. Because let’s face it: you’ve gotta have more going on than faux game-hunting pics and 500 beers.

Date a soulmate from United States. Why are you going to find yourself writing to me? Top five reasons: 5) I listen to what you're saying and will respond thoughtfully. We call this "conversation" and if you've been dating Thag the Caveman you'll want to give this a try, it's a real treat. 4) I get out of bed on cold mornings and make hot beverages to order. Don't hold your breath waiting for Brad Pitt or Channing Taylor to do that. 3) I like expeditions that take all day, with no specific goal, but include shopping, galleries, food -- or whatever looks good along the way. Variations include hikes, weekend getaways, etc. 2) I will tell you what I am feeling, often without you having to ask, and if you do ask I won't mind. No need to check my horoscope, The Stupendous Yappi (900-GET-YAPPi), or other, less reputable means. And the top reason: 1) I know three special words and can use them in a magical sentence. Please be seated before you read any further, this could be distressing if you aren't ready for it. Are you sitting down? Okay, here it is: "I was wrong."
Life is good alone, but it's better together. I've been in some serious relationships, and commitment isn't a problem. What do I want in my Match? Be smart, and don't be afraid to show it -- talk to me, let me be involved, teach me something and be willing to learn something in turn. Smart does not necessarily mean formal education, you can be a high school dropout and still be smart. Care about what you do, for work or for fun. "Smart ass" is perfectly acceptable too - actually, it's encouraged... ;)
I lived pretty far out in the countryside at one point, and have also lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Both situations appeal to me, so I guess the close-in suburb of Berkeley is a good compromise for me. Sometimes I wish for more room, other times I wish for more things within walking distance and better mass transit. Fortunately I'm in a good situation with my house, so if I should decide to move in one direction or the other it's possible.
Children are understandably a point of concern/interest when sifting through profiles. I won't say "I'm going to have kids" without first knowing that there's a stable, loving relationship to support them - and that should really be a "we" decision, no? Not really a topic than can be properly addressed in a few sentences, and if I wind up not having kids because I'm overly cautious, I'd rather err on that side of the equation.
Lately I've been listening to the music of Metric, Future of the Left, Nous Non Plus, and Forget Cassettes, to pick a few at the top of a handy stack of CDs. I'm pleasantly surprised by the number of interesting foreign films on Netflix, though I prefer to see them in the theater of course, and enjoy film festivals. For that matter, I enjoy hopping in the car just to go check out someplace that looked interesting on the map, or in a magazine, or that your friend's cousin's neighbor was talking about...
I grew up in Philadelphia, went to a small college in Massachusetts, and spent the following years moving back and forth between Manhattan and Boston. I thought I'd be a writer/photographer, but found it a lot easier to pay the bills by messing around with computers -- and truth be told, I found I had a passion for computer science and research. I'm playing with cameras again, but it's slow going learning everything all over again.
What else? I've got a couple cars and mess about with them. I like to get out and enjoy the fabulous terrain the greater Bay Area offers for outdoor fun, though I enjoy puttering around the house and indoor pursuits as well. Snowboarding is a favorite winter pastime, and I bought an Audi wagon largely for getting to and from Tahoe even during snowstorms. First question somebody I didn't know asked after I got it: "Oh, you have kids?" ;)
If allllll that wasn't enough, feel free to ask questions.
--Steve.

Meet a man from United States. Hi my name is Drew, I'm 5'11 about 160lbs. very attractive gentlemen, I enjoy cooking, fishing, camping, candle light dinners, and a nice hot steamy shower....I'm very friendly, honest, passionate, open-minded person.......What I'm Looking For.......I'm looking for a special lady who's down to earth, Sensual and Sophisticated, passionate and she knows what she wants..