I don't have a lot of time to write this at the moment, so I'll be as brief and to the point as possible.

Basics:
1. I met a woman who I now have very strong feelings towards.
2. she suggested we become pen pals for when we're away from college, and meeting over the summer was impossible because of summer jobs, etc.
3. we have been pen pals for over half a year now
4. when school started up again, we went to her favorite restaurant...her suggestion. She didn't eat anything because she wasn't feeling well, but went anyways.
5. we have talked over the phone for up to 1 1/2 hours, with 1 hour being the average...about once a week for the summer.
6. she is currently studying abroad (half a year)
7. she is still sending me a letter or two a semester while abroad.
8. I said I would take her back to her restaurant when she comes back, my treat, among the usual contents, where she asks all about me, and shares a lot of background information about herself and her family (no reply back yet, though that letter was sent very recently...a reply won't come back for a while, understandably)

problems:
1. does she seem to like me? Or am I misinterpreting these signs wrong?
2. I get very jealous/paranoid when I see photos of her with ANY guys. However, I'm not a violent person, and as with all situations, I usually just let these thoughts eat me alive. I'd rather see her happy than sad, and would completely commit myself to her towards that cause if I entered a relationship with her, among other "ideals" I strongly believe in. Two timing equals a conflict in my belief system, and would never attempt that.
3. should I be worried/concerned if there are multiple photos of a single guy with her (not doing anything, but are sitting next to one another...no arm around the neck though, hugging, etc. but too close for my mental comfort)
4. We have not had any physical contact (hand holding, or even shoulder tapping)...I'm very hands off with women until I get comfortable with their physical presence...being a pen pal and talking on the phone are different forms of communicating after all.
5. I have no problem talking to people in person(not over phone or mail) when I think of them as friends regardless of gender, but once I think of someone in the relationship mindset my mind locks up and my ability to maintain a fluid, intelligent conversation dies off to a "how's the weather" type of dialog. This happened in "basics #4" unfortunately.


Solutions(potential) to problems: please reply.
Any hints, ideas, or possibly ways to ask her what may be going on inside her mind when she thinks of me would be helpful. Should I be direct "are you interested in anything beyond a friendship?" or something more subtle? The last thing I want to be seen as is a stalker, though I am worried about another running failure in relationships.

Please feel free to provide any tips, advice, etc.
Thanks

Last edited by Less confusion; 12/20/08 12:01 PM.