Why you might want to date Marco

The basics

30, straight, from Barcelona but living in San Jose for the past four years. I work at a biotech startup where we're trying to understand aging at a molecular level. I have a master's in computational biology and opinions about olive oil that border on obnoxious.

What I'm looking for

A life partner. I know that sounds heavy for a first introduction but I think it's better to be clear. I want to build a life with someone - the whole thing. Shared routines, inside jokes that don't make sense to anyone else, eventually kids, a house with a garden where I can grow tomatoes and herbs.

I'm not in a rush but I'm also not interested in something that's going nowhere. If you're figuring things out or want to keep things casual, no judgment - but we're probably not a match.

What I'm actually like

I'm the planner in every friend group. I'm the one who makes the restaurant reservation, sends the calendar invite, and has a spreadsheet for the road trip. Some people find this annoying. I find chaos stressful and I've made peace with being the organized one.

I'm deeply curious. I'll go down a rabbit hole about anything - last month it was the history of fermentation, this month it's urban planning in Japanese cities. I like people who have their own rabbit holes and want to tell me about them.

I'm quiet at first but warm once I trust you. I won't be the loudest person at the party but I'll be the one having the best conversation in the corner. Opening up emotionally takes me time - not because I don't feel things, but because I want to be sure before I'm vulnerable.

The good

• I'm an excellent cook - Spanish food mostly, but I experiment. I make paella from scratch every few weeks and it's genuinely good.
• I'm reliable. I show up. I follow through. If I say I'll do something, I do it.
• I'm genuinely interested in whatever you're passionate about, even if I know nothing about it.
• I plan amazing trips. Our hypothetical first trip would be well-researched and perfectly paced.

The less good

• I can be intense about work. I care a lot about what I do and sometimes that means I'm thinking about it when I should be present.
• I take a while to open up emotionally. I'm not closed off, just slow.
• I'm perpetually 5 minutes late. I'm aware of it. I'm working on it. It's not going great.
• I have strong opinions about food and cooking that some might call snobbery (I call it standards).

If this resonated

Tell me about something you're curious about right now - a rabbit hole you've gone down recently, something you're learning, or a problem you're trying to solve. That tells me more about compatibility than any list of hobbies could.