2015 is the year app dating really kicked off ... and I embraced Happn

Alison Taylor was definitely a sceptic, but may have met The One...

Happy Boxing Day! 'Tis the time of year for existential crises and a question like this is something I'd ask myself on a relatively regular basis. I'd hate myself a little bit for it, because it sounds a bit clichéd, a bit Bridget Jones but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it was a genuine concern.

Boxing Day is a particularly ripe time for romantic introspection. I should know because I spent 10 years being single. Don't get me wrong, I was absolutely fine, I have an amazing family and friends who I always have a good time with, but to go so many years with no decent romantic prospects, and with more than a few setbacks, let-downs and downright galling experiences, well, it takes its toll.

I'd say to myself, surely this time next year I'll have met somebody? I did that nine times. In darker moments you can't help but feel like a bit of a love reject. I worried about the creeping years: 37 is a challenging age when it comes to being a woman and dating – as sexist as that seems. And at this time of year it feels even more glaring, even though you're not a moron who thinks everyone in a couple has got it sussed and is blissfully happy sitting beside a log fire.

The fact is dating can feel a bit relentless at times. Looking back at this year, we've had lovely developments like "ghosting" and half-night stands to contend with too, in case we weren't jaded enough.

Of course, 2015 is the year app dating really kicked off. I was definitely a sceptic. I hated the thought of Tinder. I wasn't keen on internet dating either; I was sick of it all.

Then I tried Happn – the less seedy-seeming sister of Tinder – and the second person I met became my love story. The love that I thought was never going to happen. I said to Mum the day after our first date, I think I might have met him. Maybe I have…

@lovefoolforever