If I had to pick out the adventurous girl in a crowd, Jill would be one of the last I鈥檇 point to. Whether that has to do with my horrible perception or her initial caginess, I don鈥檛 know. But she surprised me at almost every turn as she crawled out of her proverbial cage. She loves watching sports. Her favorites are basketball, football 鈥� and boxing. Seriously? 

鈥淵ou鈥檒l never find a People magazine or anything like that in my house 鈥� even though I鈥檓 in entertainment. I know what鈥檚 going on, but I don鈥檛 want to read that. I read a lot. I鈥檓 a bit of an information junkie.鈥� She recently bought a book from the bookstore, because a stranger she met in the store was so passionate about it. It wasn鈥檛 even a book she鈥檇 like. 鈥淚 respond to people鈥檚 enthusiasm. I love passion 鈥� when people believe in things. Even if it鈥檚 not my passion, I love when they have it.鈥�

Jill is always up for an adventure. A journalist friend was going to Ramallah to interview the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, so Jill, a Jew, tailed along with her to meet him. On a trip to China, she saw people from her hotel window doing tai chi at 5 a.m. and thought, 鈥榃hat are they doing?鈥� 鈥淚 believe when in Rome, do what the Romans do.鈥� So she took her first tai chi class in China and is still doing it in Los Angeles. She also meditates daily. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 searching for it. A friend of mine said, 鈥楳y sister is teaching this class and needs a certain number of students to get her degree,鈥� and I said 鈥極K.鈥� I feel like it changed my life for the better.鈥�

Although she鈥檚 clearly spiritual, she鈥檚 also not afraid of danger. 鈥淟ast night I spent 30 minutes on my walk thinking about, 鈥楬ow do you become a suicide bomber?鈥� I鈥檇 like to talk to them. I鈥檓 not afraid of conflict. I鈥檓 curious why people think a certain way.鈥� Her fantasy job?: 鈥渢errorist hunter.鈥� She thinks for a second and then says, 鈥淚 could never pass for a Muslim. Look how white I am.鈥� Later, when I tell her about a friend of mine who was in prison for a few years, she jokes, 鈥淚鈥檇 probably go out with him.鈥� I ask her why that would be appealing. 鈥淚鈥檝e lived. I want someone who鈥檚 lived.鈥� 

I ask her to tell me what she wants in a guy. 鈥淭he No. 1 thing is an intellectual connection. He can be brilliant and intellectually stimulating, but if I鈥檓 not interested in what he鈥檚 talking about, forget it. I like to learn about new things. That鈥檚 what I love about the TED Talks. I feel like I learn something all the time. I feel like I learn about life [through] them. Sometimes we get caught up in our routine, so I love it because it makes me step outside of my world and learn something new.鈥�

She鈥檚 not caught up with looks, but she does lean toward Israeli men. 鈥淚 want someone who has a joyful spirit. He wants to live life [to the fullest], and there鈥檚 a willingness and desire to share [his] life [with me], because I鈥檓 looking for someone to share mine with.鈥� She talks about what it鈥檚 like being single in her early 40s, and then adds, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 need 40 or 50 years with someone. I鈥檇 be grateful for 25 or 30. I used to always say I鈥檓 ready. Now I鈥檓 actually ready. I鈥檓 more settled than I鈥檝e ever been.鈥�

If you鈥檙e interested in anyone you see on My Single Peeps, send an e-mail and a picture, including the person鈥檚 name in the subject line, to mysinglepeeps@jewishjournal.com, and we鈥檒l forward it to your favorite peep.

Seth Menachem is an actor and writer living in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter. You can see more of his work on his Web site, , and meet even more single peeps at .