Do all guys go through the "chase is more fun" stage?

[XXXNoahXXX]

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I have a pretty serious girlfriend now and even though I can probably do better, I'm putting some serious thought into just settling in with her out of convenience.

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eww.


FWIW I am 23 and have lived with my girlfriend for two years, since graduating college. I'm not sure whether its her or my maturity, likely a combo of the two, but I really don't feel that great desire to play the field. I mean I do, and I would love to go out and prove that I still got it, and even mix it up for sex, etc. but this thought is now a blip on the screen instead of an all-consuming thing.

Previously, I'd go through the typical wanting a girlfriend until I had one and then craving freedom. Whenever I was with a girl, it was like "ok, i got her....now what?" The thrill of the catch was over, she was in love with me, and I was over it.

Now though, I just realize how lucky I am that I get to spend every night and wake up every morning with a girl who, for me, is a million times better than every other girl. Living together is a HUGE step, because the time you spend together makes one year together the equivalent of like 5 years living apart.

This past weekend I went to visit my friend in NYC, and we went out to some bars. Obviously I was scoping around out of habit, picking out which girl I'd approach if I was single, estimating my odds, etc. I never had any real urge to do it though, because I'm happy where I'm at.

I know I'm just blabbering on, but whatever.

[awful poker analogy] For me, this is like a variation on that thread that gets started once a month. "Would you give up poker for a million dollars?" Basically, how much do you value actually playing the game.

The difference for me is that it seems like the choice between a million dollars or playing a tournament where the top prize is 500k. If I choose to play, not only am I giving up on the sure thing for the thrill of the game, I also know that I could never find anyone so perfect for me. [/awful poker analogy]