Navigating a serious relationship at the age of 37

Noone hands you a user manual for relationships. Perhaps they should and it should start from the end and work backwards.

Navigating a relationship at any age is a challenge but put yourself in my shoes. My 37-year-old shoes.

It's not easy to change your habits after living by yourself for so long and being used to doing things just the way you like it.

But alas, I met a guy through eHarmony after only a few weeks. I never thought I'd be one of those statistics where you meet someone online. A genuine, decent guy wanting the same things you do.

But noone tells you actually how hard it will be to try and blend the two lives together at such a late stage in your lives.

I am 37 and he is 39 and needless to say we both didn't think we'd find ourselves single at that age and looking for love through the stroke of a keyboard.

But here we both are.

Sure you have your own friends, hobbies and careers but trying to mash them all together is sometimes harder than it appears.

I love scary movies - have since I was about 10 or 11 years old. Now as an adult it's really hard to find someone who shares my love of this night time indulgence. But I did and we watch plenty of scary movies and I happily grip his arm at the scary parts.

I think what doesn't change, no matter what age you are entering a relationship, is not knowing where the other stands.

Do they like you as much as you do (let's face it - one always likes someone more than the other one does).

At what stage do you meet their friends? When do you introduce them to yours? When do they meet the fockers? When do you meet theirs?

You don't want to seem too eager to pass all these milestones, but secretly you hope he likes you enough to want to push you into the deep end, head first.

And boy does it feel good.

You walk proudly with this guy on your arm and hope everyone knows he's yours, he's your boyfriend and he's chosen you.

You skip along blissfully unaware of whatever else is happening around you.

You're in love and it feels f***ing fantastic!

Boy, why did it take 37 years to get here you ask?