It's good to hear that you were able to take something positive from this experience in the sense that you learned from it. My mom struggles with something very similar. She puts the women she meets on pedestals, thinks they're definitely the one for her, spends a ton of money to go see them (and sometimes even lives with them) before getting to know them well, and ends up getting highly disappointed because they turn out not to be who she thought they were - not to mention in debt. The difference is that she never learns.

I would say to simply get to know the person better before making big commitments. That way, even if things do not work out in the long run, you will not wind up losing more than what you had before. This may or may not be the case, but maybe you end up feeling hasty because part of you thinks if you don't act now, there won't be a chance to in the future? I think that may be the case with my mom.

I'm sorry that I can't offer more advice, but I'm glad that you recognize the possibility of a fulfilling relationship with a person other than her. My mom thinks being in an unfulfilling relationship is better than none.