It's funny, all my life I have dated guys. I had lots of gay and lesbian friends but it never occured to me that being gay or lesbian was an option for me. Like it was some kind of private club just for them.

OK...for any GLBTQ's reading this... what I am about to say sounds like a really bad thing... one of those things that is almost always SO wrong... but for me, in that time, in that space it really was OK.... end of small print...

I went to a large conference with the company I worked for and the first night there is always a meal or snack and cocktails for everone to catch up. I wandered over to my boss who was talking to the head of our largest contract (it was their conference). They looked up, saw me and opened their posture to welcome me into the conversation but never missed a beat of what they were disscussing. After several minutes I discovered it was actually a rather heated conversation about me! My boss insisting that I was strait because he had seen the pictures of the men I dated and had met some. The head of the contract (who is an out gay man) insisting that I was a lesbian! I was too befuddled by the whole thing to have a say!
Seconds later I felt this presence walk into the room like I had never felt before... I turned around and it was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen and I had a strong physiological response (and yes I can have a similar response with men). She came over and joined the conversation!!! The guys filling her in on how they were debating strait or lesbian until she walked in and they saw my physical response.

Come to find out I had been working closely with her over the past year but we had never met. She is an out bisexual woman currently with a man . She and I had an amaizing conversation much like the one you have started here. What was really wonderful was that because of how it all happened and the fact that she had a partner (and I would never mess with that) the conversation could be completely open.
I consider myself to be SO fortunte that my time to "come out" both to others and to myself was such a beautiful and supported time... Just a tad untraditional.

In the end I realized that I am attracted to people. Yes, people with "that" look but also other things. Spiritual people, honest people, real people... I started looking at what I really wanted and deserved in a life partner without addressing the gender issue. Uh... I'm still single... so I identify as bisexual with really high standards!

I am 33 and have a son that I adopted because I found the right kid before I found the right partner (always planned on adopting... too chicken about that whole prego and delivery thing!).
And, lets think about it... how much time do couples really spend engaged in intimate activity compaired to living their life? Find someone you are passionate about spending your life with and the gender thing will work itself out. Set the bar high and see who can sail over it!

So... now I haven't given you the answers you were looking for and may have complicated thing more by throwing the whole Bi thing in there. Just make sure that they deserve you, you are worth it.