DEAR ABBY: For the last five months I have been talking to a guy I met via a dating app. We live a few states apart and have yet to meet in person, but we communicate regularly.
With my tax refund this year, I'd like to do something for me. He suggested that I visit him. I don't get any red flags from him, and I'm sure I'd be 100 percent safe while I'm there. However, I'm anxious about taking a trip by myself to visit a guy I've developed a massive crush on.
I have thought about offering to pay his way here instead, or simply not going at all. I asked my friends and family for their opinions. Some of them think I should go, while others say I should pay his way here. I need advice from an outsider's perspective. -- CONFUSED AND CRUSHING
DEAR C AND C: I vote for having your friend come and visit you the first time you meet. That way your family and friends can meet him, and if your massive crush doesn't live up to your expectations, you won't be alone in a strange city and at a disadvantage.