Actually on Long Island it can get pretty isolated :) Right now I'm working on speaking up and not being so introverted. A female with bad self confidence is a drag on a guy I think.
There is nothing to lose. Allow yourself to be under less stress and to have fun. Walk around like you own yourself and if you don't do well on some date or don't like the guy, no worries, just go find another. Start over, there is no price to pay here.
My sister learned to do country western dancing to meet guys having been a younger person in New York who once won all those clubs dance contests. You meet good people that way get in country western dance clubs.
Only watch out for Persians, they hang out there as well, and their culture is too different for American women. Women are cr@p in the Persian culture from what I've heard American women tell me.
Quite true. Conversely, a woman happy with herself possesses an almost magical charm.
Unfortunately, many woman equate self-confidence with arrogance. From your comments on this thread you're are obviously not one of those :-)