Great to hear that you are putting yourself out there! Don't worry about not responding right away. I spent about a month just dipping my toes in the water, creating a profile, looking through profiles, and not responding to anyone who messaged me. I needed that time to get comfortable with the idea of dating again. You have no obligation to respond to anyone, so don't feel bad about that.
In terms of tips, I can only help from my perspective as a guy. I don't get inundated with responses like many of the gals do. I would just approach everything from a perspective of zero expectations. I have probably been on dates with two dozen women in the last four months and only two of them weren't great experiences. Even with the women who I had no romantic connection there was still generally an interesting conversation in which I learned something new. I approach each date like that and I think it has served me well. It sounds like you are in the right frame of mind.
Like everyone else says, don't waste your time chatting/texting for too long. If it isn't progressing to a meet-up in real life after a week or two, just let it go. It is hard to get to know a person from what they write. I really hit it off with one woman in our chats, and due to circumstances we couldn't meet up for nearly a month (we were planning it well ahead of that), when we finally met up it was clear within minutes that there was no chemistry. There are signs you can look for, common interests, well-written profiles, attractive and plentiful photos, but ultimately you always learn more in 5 minutes of face to face time than you can in weeks of online chatter.
In terms of disclosing my situation, I always make that call on the first date. If I feel like it is someone I want to see again, I make sure to let them know that I am separated and on the verge of being divorced. I don't do that online, and I don't do it if I know that there won't be more dates. I want to be upfront and honest in a possible relationship but I also don't feel the need to disclose personal information with just anyone.
Most of all, enjoy the process! You are forging a new path in your life and that should be exciting and even a little scary. Embrace that!
W 34 Me 42 Married 7 years together 8 0 kids 1 beloved dog BD 4/6/2018 I moved out 4/7/2018 I moved back in alone 8/05/2018 I file 3/06/2019 D official 5/7/2019
