Give it time, bro. If it was a truly meaningful relationship, it's gonna take some serious time to get over it. It's human nature. And as for the whole idea that your dating options are somewhat diminshed after college, fret not. I dated a girl for seven years through undergrad and grad school. We broke up, and I moved to Austin. The dating scene here is out-freakin'-standing. you sound like a good dude. You'll be back in the game and doing well, I'm sure in due time.
There are 10-week (or so) seminars given around the country entitled "When Your Relationship Ends". It's a great mechanism for moving on from a failed relationship. I'd advise finding one like that in your area. You'll be in a group with people in your same boat, with all the empathy that you can absorb. In Austin, Larry Miller gives those (or he used to do so).
i just got hit by the bug too. my ex and i were together for a lil over a year. we broke up last december when she moved to galveston but remained in pretty good touch for the few months afterwards... yesterday i found out she is already engaged and it happened on Christmas Eve. talk about a shot to the balls. i'm not so much as hurt, but i admit i'm bothered and weirded out by it. the dude is a douchebag (i know, because it turns out my friend's wife was his girlfriend in college - - small world, i know) and he is a jerk. he's also loaded and won a $5million settlement against GM when his seatbelt disengaged during an accident that rolled his vehicle. what a dump.
Good luck dude. I don't know what to tell you other than that you'll meet someone else. Just get out there. I had 3 serious relationships that spanned 19 years (including a marriage and a divorce). It sucks but, ya gotta live for the next day. As far as "the love of your life" and "the one," I had mine (a couple of times, and neither girl was the woman who I married). It's just life. Maybe that's harsh but it happens. Go out and find some new tang and try to find someone new to 'connect' with. Who knows? You'll go through several relationships during your life. I had to post on this thread because I recently had a pseudo-date with the woman who wrenched my heart for several years during high school and college. She was "the one" and the "love of my life." It was a bit weird because so many years have passed. But that's for another thread. Anyway, my advice is simply to try to move on and meet some new women.
