Date women from United States / California / Pleasant Hill, 37 year old

Date a woman from United States. So I have finally been convinced by my best friend and her husband to join in on the fun of online dating (isn't that what everybody says)? ;-). It worked for them. 8 years later, they are still in love... married with 2 kids. So I know it can happen, but this all still feels a bit awkward and foreign to me.
I am brand new to the dating world - both on line and off line. I haven't dated in almost four years. But now, it really feels like the right time. I can't help but feel really happy and excited about this. And, while I don't want to rush in to anything... I'm also not here for entertainment. I want to find my best friend, my soul mate - someone who can challenge me, laugh with me...
Someone with a great sense of humor... He doesnРІР‚в„ўt have to be a comedian, by any means, but if he and I can look at something and share a smile because we both recognize the humor (or the irony or the ridiculousness) in it...
Well, let's just say that I really dig those moments. :-)
About me...
I can be serious. I can be silly and dorky and would love to find someone who also appreciates both sides to life. I love having intense conversations about the social and political issues that I (and those around me) are passionate about. But I love my mellow time, all the same. Some of my favorite Saturdays have been those spent in pajamas all day long.
I love learning and exploring.
I like festivals and I love live music.
I'm looking for a man who values his dignity and integrity...
A man who is intelligent...
Someone who (for the most part) is at peace with himself. I can see myself with a man who is kind, generous, loving, and affectionate.
I would love to meet someone who likes to travel but also cherishes time at home. I love children. Always have and always will. I'm hoping that children are "in the cards" for me - whether I bear them or they are a bonus gift with my meaningful relationship. :-) But, if children are not "in the cards" for me, I'm okay with it.
Sometimes, I canРІР‚в„ўt help but be inspired and awe-struck by this beautiful world we live in. At other times, IРІР‚в„ўm a bit jaded; needing a partner-in-crime to share dry humor with me.
Other loves:
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Muir Woods
San Francisco (Paris and Prague are on my Wish List)
Lake Tahoe
full moons
the sound of the train
reading and writing
hiking
dancing in my kitchen and singing in the shower
being goofy (see above)
going to professional sports games
attending the ballet and the symphony
sharing activities with my partner, but also having my own space
fresh air
IРІР‚в„ўm not religious, but I am spiritual. I need to be with someone who shares the belief that there is a Higher Power that is operating in this Universe. I have friends who are atheists and agnostic and I completely respect their beliefs. In fact, I learn a lot from them. But, when it comes to me connecting with someone on a romantic level, I want to build that kind of relationship with someone who shares a sense of the sacred.
And innocence. None of us are completely innocent. But I think that you can be savvy, clever, and witty and still not lose a part of you that is innocent. And I like that part in people. ItРІР‚в„ўs often the part of a person that I first fall in love with.
A willingness to be vulnerable. ThatРІР‚в„ўs another really attractive quality.
If that sounds like you, then let’s go and explore the Bay Area together… have an intense conversation… spend a lazy Saturday vegging out… or spend a Saturday at a barbeque with our friends, laughing, talking, and listening to great music. There is so much to do and so many days to not do anything at all… Because when you’re with the right person, it doesn’t really matter what you do; just who you’re with.