Sure. I think long-term relationships are great, but I'm not interested in one at the moment because I don't have a relationship that is ready to progress towards that.

I look to what I have, and what I want for the immediate future. Long-term goals guide my desires for the immediate future. Marriage and kids is in your long-term? That really is awesome, but not for me. I don't want to get to far into it, but I don't like the institution of marriage as it is - I think it's a poor stand-in for a daily decision for two people to commit to each other. Please don't conflate that with a judgement about your desire for marriage, I promise it's not. Marriage has a lot of fantastic aspects to it, but I do not want to be a part of that system. It's also very practical for those who want children, and I do not.

So, my life goals really don't direct me towards a long-term relationship. They don't preclude one, either. So why am I looking for a relationship? Well, I enjoy romance, I enjoy intimacy, and I would like for someone to share those things with. It's as simple as that. So I let it be that simple.

You say it gives the vibe that long-term commitment is not their thing, and I think that's an accurate generalization, but it's not necessarily true for the individual. Whoever I choose to be with is inherently enough. They do not need to change, and they do not need to be replaced. There may come a point, however, that we no longer fit into each other's long-term plans. They want to live on the west coast, I want the east coast; they want a house in the suburbs, I want an apartment in the city - you get the idea. I don't necessarily want the baggage of expectations that comes with a search for long-term relationship. If we need each other, we'll compromise and stay together, if we don't, that's fine. Breaking up will hurt, sure, but the pain is part of the humanity.

I commit myself to a person through the course of a relationship, and whatever that means will be between us. Sometimes it's in monogamy, sometimes it's not. Sometimes it's across great distances, sometime it's not. I am a fluid individual, and I take great pride in that fluidity. It's not in the numbers of partners, but the diversity between each partner, and the chance to love that person regardless. I am for the moment. So, short-term relationships is "what I'm looking for," but what I really want is someone to share decisions with, collaborate with, commit to, and learn about. Long-term implies I'm looking for something more, and I'm not. I am content when I am alone, and I'm content with whoever I'm with. I cycle between those states with relative ease, and deeply appreciate the pain of the transition.