I'm ready to start dating.

I've only recently haulted all contact with my last ex, but I really feel like it's time. You have to understand that even though we haven't talked in only about 2 weeks (it will be 2 weeks tomorrow), the break up has actually been a much longer process. Let's go through the steps so that you understand that I really am ready.

Steps of a break up
Step 1: One or both of the involved parties decides to end the relationship.
It is a little hard to pinpoint who exactly ended it. If you were to get technical, you could probably say that I did. I broke up with her officially. But it was more as a threat, as a warning that if she didn't change, it would be over. But of course it wasn't. Me actually telling her "I don't want to be with you" (oh, empty threats) really happened several months ago. Yet, we continued to talk, sex, kiss, love eachother up until 2 weeks ago. Oh, and of course, we continued to fight. But I really believe that she was actually the person to end it. She was the first to say (and actually mean) that it was time to move on, that we needed to date others, that we were over. I persisted, and though I truly knew that we weren't healthy for eachother, and though I told her that I couldn't be with her, I didn't stop talking to her.

Step 2: The person who was broken up with finally asserts that it's time to move on.
Had I not, 2 weeks ago, decided that yes, it was time, we would still be talking. I would still be involved in a relationship that wasn't really a relationship at all. Confusing? I know, I'm trying to explain as perfectly as possible. She would still be dating and sexing other people, and I would still be committed to trying to make it work, to trying to still share something with her. But seriously, it was like the straw that broke the camel's back. We got into a fight the night of Thanksgiving. It was just a typical fight, like we always have, but something woke up inside of me and said "Do not say anything rash. End the converstaion, think it over, and then decide what to do". Typically, I would just say that I didn't want to talk to her anymore, that I was done (something stupid that I didn't mean), go to sleep, and then wake up and text her/receive a text from her. But this time I simply said "Goodnight", went to sleep, woke up and for once truly felt that I did NOT want to continue the downward spiral that we were in. I told her I finally agreed it was time to move on, she cussed me out per usual, and that was the last of it.

Step 3: Confronting loneliness
This needs no explanation, really. I didn't talk to her for 2 weeks, we were over. It was hard to not have someone to text, but I did it. And now I'm totally fine without it. It took a lot of nights crying in my bed, talking with friends, and drinking lots of alcohol. But it's done. I have no desire to talk to her. I, of course, wonder how she is doing. But even that isn't enough to get me to text her. I still love her, and as is the case with most break ups, part of me will always love her. But she doesn't have all of me anymore.

So now it's time for Step 4: Moving on. I'm ready to move on. I'm not saying the next person I date will be the person I marry. But it's always good to have experience under your belt. I put that in the most emotionless way possible, haha.