I am a US Citizen. My fiancé lives in Gambia, but is a Liberian, whom I have been dating for some time now and fell deep in love with and wouldn't change him for the world! After coming out of a nine (9) year (boring) relationship, I sort of gave up on finding true love and was thinking how will I know how to date again?

First, I thought online dating was a weird thing and that it was impossible for someone to find true love!? Then I got a roommate and she started talking about her boyfriend, flying to meet him and so I asked 'when am I going to meet this guy?' She then told me he is a guy she met online and I frowned to the issue, but I noticed how happy she seemed, so I said one night (while bored), where do I sign-up on that site? I did and from the start I became very very picky about whom I wanted to respond back to. After passing on so many guys I gave up on that site and found a free site that catered to Jamaicans, but can you believe I found an African man instead? I started talking to this guy for a while, but something was missing, but I couldn't put my fingers on it. After months of talking he had to return back to his home country to renew his passport, so I started basically keeping company with one of his so-called friends at the time and that friend was very nice to me and besides I hooked him up with my roommate (who lost her previous love connection).

Anyways, to make the story short the guy I was talking too I found did some dirty talking on the side with alot of other women and that was not what I was in this for. His friend (my buddy) told me he was sorry and he knew I was hurt and upset, over a couple of days later he kept mentioning this Christian guy to me and I was like 'no thank you.' But one night I gave in and said okay I will talk to your friend, either way I was bored and had nothing to do, so let him be my 'kill the time' guy.

My first talk with Toney I said to myself 'now God is giving me what I wanted all these years?' Something about him reminded me of myself and for the first time, I didn't have to pull the entire conversation. So months passed by and I realized I found my best-friend and husband. Someone who listens, care and can challenge my controlling ways and that was huge to do when dating me.

In May (2010), I went on my first International trip to Dakar, Senegal and it was everything I imagine it would be and more because I spent it with Toney. I think back on walking out of the airport and seeing him there waiting for me, all I could do was laugh at first because it felt like we knew each other for years and all those nervous feelings I had went away quick. You sometimes think will everything change after that first kiss, after the first intimacy, or after the first argument? I have to say that visit proved that we were one with each other and the love got stronger during those two weeks and after coming back home I wished I could have stayed longer. Everyday I look at our pictures and it tells me how strong the love we felt was real and pure at heart.

I tell anyone who wants to date someone so far like me; you have to have a strong and dedicated mind to withstand the gap between you. You have to know the difference between love and lust, true and false, but most of all know what you are in this for and fight for it, so when the day comes when you stand at the altar you know you did it together and it was all worth it!

e'Rica