The perfect man: does he exist?  If so, I sure haven’t found him. I’ve found Mr. Cocky, Mr. Emotionally Unstable, and Mr. Let’s Get Married After One Date, but definitely no Mr. Perfect. My friends, the search continues.

I can befriend just about anyone, but when it comes to dating, there’s a whole different rule book employed. You may call me picky or unreasonable, but I prefer “highly selective.”  So what does constitute a “perfect man?” Well, I’m not 100 percent sure, but I think I have a good idea.

Ok, so let’s go ahead and get the superficial, aesthetic stuff out of the way.  Looks are the least important qualification, but they still play a part.  My ideal man would be around six feet tall,  with dark hair, a chiseled jaw line, and a stocky build.  What can I say?  I’m into the manly, lumberjack type.  So if a guy comes to my door in a flannel shirt with a giant blue ox, he may just have a chance.  However, if a shorter blonde guy has the following attributes, he stands a good chance as well.

Alright, now comes the important part: the personality.  Ambition is extremely important.  I want someone who is going places in life, not some bum who lays on the couch all day drinking cheap beer.  I need someone I can trust.  Yes, trust is as important as Hollywood makes it.  If I can’t trust you then I can’t talk to you, and if I can’t talk to you I will implode.

Spontaniety is also important.  Being a student and admittedly anal retentive, my life has enough planning involved as is.  Sometimes I just need someone to shake my routine up a bit. Even we extreme organizers crave a little chaos every once in awhile.

The perfect man would also have a great sense of humor.  I love to laugh, so I need someone who can keep me entertained.  Yes, I even enjoy the occasional cheesy pickup line. Along with humor goes intelligence.  In my book these two qualities are closely intertwined.  Intellect is a real turn on.  I love it when a guy knows what he’s talking about. Better still if he knows what I’m talking about, because good conversation is key.

Lastly, the perfect man would be able to put me in my place. No, I don’t mean with violence.  I hate it when a guy goes along with everything I say just for the sake of keeping the peace.  I would much rather a guy tell me that I’m full of it.  Also, a guy can neither let me boss him around all the time nor need my approval of his every movement.  While I’m not into the whole machismo thing, I’ve seen way too many whipped men for my liking.

Oh, and one last thing.  The perfect man does not want to get married after a week of dating.  Guys usually make fun of girls about this, but drawing from personal experience, guys are just as bad if not worse.  I’m 20 years old; I don’t know about marriage yet and I certainly don’t know about kids.  Perhaps if I find Mr. Perfect, marriage will ensue and perhaps I’ll feel the need to procreate one day. As of right now these issues are not pertinent.

Let's see... my perfect man is tall, dark, and handsome, ambitious, intelligent, funny, independent, spontaneous, conversational, and trustworthy…and loves to cuddle.  Cuddling is very important.

You see, my list really isn’t all that complex.  It's just that I'm not looking for your average guy. After all, I’m not your average girl.