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Jen A. Miller Consulting

Category: The Single Diaries

  • Lessons in Online Dating From an OkCupid User

    Lessons in Online Dating From an OkCupid User

    Lara Torii downloads us on what it’s really like to use dating site OkCupid and shares her online dating tips

    OKCupid
    PHOTO: Pinterest.

    During a post-dinner group discussion on the landscape of modern dating, our college mentor and her husband admitted their fascination with 20-somethings and online dating. “When they were our age,” they met potential matches through friends, and the concept of online dating was completely foreign (despite the start of social media sites like MySpace and Asian Avenue). As the conversation continued, everyone weighed in on their personal experiences with dating sites and apps. Lara brought a unique perspective to the group as she’s a girl looking for girls on OkCupid. Here she gives The Single Diaries the ins and outs of her experience with the site, and offers her top tips for using OkCupid and for online dating.

    I joined OkCupid last year while I was traveling in Asia. After being abroad for two years and a long-distance break-up, it was interesting to hear that online dating had somehow become trendy. Several friends told me they had good experiences with OkCupid, so I set up my profile. I didn’t intend to date anyone halfway around the world, but I was looking forward to slowly getting myself out in the dating world.

    OkCupid (or OKC) is set up similarly to Facebook, which some may find to be a turn-off, but I didn’t let that faze me. I dutifully set up my “about” page, my photos, my details. Then there are the Questions. These Questions delve deeper into your habits, psyche and preferences. The Questions range in topic. How important are politics to you? Do you like to cuddle? What are you looking for in your next relationship? How often do you brush your teeth? After you answer each question, you can indicate what answers you will accept from potential matches and how important it is to you that they answer in that way. These questions and my answers are visible to other users under a tab on my profile.

    When browisng other people’s profiles, they show you a compatibility percentage based on your answers. For example, I am 86% compatible with this girl, but only 45% compatible with this one. This function is helpful to narrow down the sheer volume of OKC users. It also means that OKC sends me personalized matches each week—another way to interact with the site without necessarily having to check in everyday.

    After being on the site for a few months, here’s what I’ve learned from my experience on OKCupid… and what I recommend to anyone looking to start online dating.

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  • Favorite Sites for Life Advice | Single Girl Sources

    Favorite Sites for Life Advice | Single Girl Sources

    5 Sites to Turn to When You Need a Little Life Advice

    While we’d like to think The Single Diaries is the only source you’d ever need to get your fill of great stories, awesome inspiration, and expert advice we know it doesn’t hurt to have a few back ups. Since we’re entrenched in the blogosphere we make it our mission to scour the web for the best advice out there for our fearless female readers. There are countless sites we turn to each day for everything from words of wisdom to tips on mastering our manicures.

    We know you ladies are out there ruling the world and might not have the time to hunt down the best of the world-wide web. That’s why we’ve decided to take the burden off your shoulders and do the heavy hunting for you. In our newest series “Single Girl Sources” we’ll share roundups of the sites we recommend you turn to when you’re looking for a great e-read.

    To start things off we’ve got a list of 5 sites we can’t live without when we need a little life advice. Check these out and make sure to add them to your bookmark bar (right below The Single Diaries of course!) (more…)

  • What I Love About My City | Berlin

    What I Love About My City | Berlin

    Jessica Buenaventura tells us why Berlin is “poor but sexy”… plus her tips on overcoming homesickness abroad

    berlin city guide
    PHOTO: Pinterest.

     

    Welcome back to What I Love About My City—a series in which our favorite single girls dish on everything from the best places for a single girls weekend to the secret spots only the locals know about. If you’re thinking about moving or just planning your next trip, we’ll fill you in with all the essential details on the cities our crew knows best.

    Germany as a whole seems to be underrated to us in the States, so after hearing from a few close friends just how amazing the country is I was eager to get the lowdown from someone who lived there for an extended period. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jessica Buenaventura attended UC Santa Barbara and studied abroad in Berlin, Germany. After a semester as an international student, Jessica fell in love with the city and looked for opportunities to stay post-graduation. Here she sheds light on the different layers of Berlin and its inhabitants and dishes on the must-see sights and sounds awaiting us in this German stadt… as well as shares her tips on avoiding inevitable homesickness while living away from your friends and family.

    Berliners are the work-hard, party-hard generation whose affinity for travel, impressive knowledge of global politics, and nonchalant hipster style make you ogle at how freaking über cool it is to be living in Berlin.

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  • Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

    Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

    Everything You Need to Know to Nail the Part of Perfect Bridesmaid

    By: Kristen Page

    bridesmaid

    Whether it’s your sister, your childhood friend, or your college roommate, these five little words actually mean a lot. Brides give a lot of thought as to who they want to be part of their special day – not to mention the months of planning leading up to it. Before saying yes, make sure you’re up for the challenging task ahead!

    Being a bridesmaid is no easy – or cheap – feat. It’s a role that has the potential to require a fair amount of planning, to cause a serious strain on your bank account, and to tie up at least a few of your precious weekends – not to mention that you might have to wear a hideous pairing of dyed satin shoes and an awkward gown…all with a big smile on your face. With that said, it can also be one of the most special, rewarding, and memorable roles that you can play in any girl’s life. Weddings are important celebrations, and the role of a bridesmaid should not be taken lightly!

    But don’t fret; I’ve got all the tips on what TO DO and what NOT to do, once you take on the “bridesmaid” title.

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  • Single Girl Reads: Divergent

    “Human beings as a whole cannot be good for long before the bad creeps back in and poisons us again.”

    divergent

    It’s a triology. It’s about a “dystopian” society that’s taken over Chicago… one that’s divided into organized groups based on human qualities that rule individual mentality: Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Amity (the friendly), Erudite (the intellectuals), and Dauntless (the brave). Despite the outward similarities with the coming-of-age strong female lead and the ability of the protagonist to outwit the central dictatorship, The Hunger Games this is not. With a slow start and elementary literary features, Divergent lacks the depth that attracted me to The Hunger Games. With that said, I did enjoy the read and am looking forward to the release of the film starring Shailene Woodley next Friday, March 21st. Don’t let the 487 pages scare you; you can finish the novel in the next week if you start this weekend!

    At the age of 16, every citizen takes an aptitude test that reveals to them where their qualities will help them most succeed in their society. Each citizen considers their results and at the Choosing Ceremony publicly declares where their mind and heart has led them. Many choose to stay within their own faction, but others choose to “abandon” their families and the ideals they were raised to uphold and switch to another. Any decision to leave is often seen as a betrayal to their family and to their faction, and they believe that you can never return home afterward. Each 16-year-old becomes an initiate that goes through a process of training into the new ideals of their adulthood and sometimes new faction before they undergo a test that accepts them into their new faction… or doesn’t.

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