Making the leap
Lately we've talked about long distance relationships, and about moving in together.
What about mid-distance relationships?
Those are the ones where you're beyond simply dating, but not quite seeing each-other exclusively. Call 'em mid-ships.
A few years back I was dating/seeing this girl who was a bit frazzled and flighty. Though we saw each other for a couple months, it never seemed totally exclusive. She made herself available only when she wanted, and honestly, I did too.
We got to a point where we took a couple trips together, and I got friendly with her group of friends. At one point, we ate lunch with her mom.
I don't think either of us were seeing anyone else (I'm pretty sure that I wasn't, though the memory is a little foggy). We were past "kinda dating" area, but we never rolled over the hump of mid-shipping and into THE RELATIONSHIP.
That was all for the best, really. Hindsight is 20/20, and I doubt that either of us would have been happy together. She was nutty and a tad too country for my liking. I think she's married now, actually.
Anyway, the mid-ship petered out. One benefit of that situation is that there was no official breakup, since there was no official get-together. But it's a weird spot, and I've heard of others in that holding pattern before.
How many of you have been in that place? Are you comfortable there? What do you do to kick it over into the full-on relationship? Have you let them fizzle before?
Or does it have to be more organic in nature, and just flow into the real deal to be a good relationship?