^Ha Shadow, that's really funny, because I studied Spanish, and I'm looking into the *possibility* of emigrating to South America...and yeah, I too have come to grips with the fact that I just might be the kind of person to live a spinster/wanderer/single life. I'm not closed off to the idea of love by any means, but I know I haven't found it yet, and I'm not one to pursue things of my own accord. Things like online dating I believe could never work for me; and frankly, I think I deserve a better story than "We met on match.com" Love will happen when it's ready to happen, and until then I'm content to enjoy the ride.
Truly, I'm one of those people that has the mentality of "I'll know it when I see it." Really, when I KNOW something I don't doubt it because like I said before, the head and the heart are both in undeniable agreement -- and those "knowing moments" are very few and far between...so until I "know it" I'm content to keep living my life as it is.
As for a maternal instinct, I don't really think I have much of one, but every so often I'll see evidence that it exists. I'm currently student teaching English as a Second Language in a middle school, and I absolutely love it. My kids are a huge source of joy and frustration, and I see that I have a natural rapport with my students (other teachers have told me so too), and there is a certain ease in teaching and disciplining them at that age. However, when I student taught in an elementary school, I felt very disengaged from my students, and it wasn't natural at all. I know I have it in me, so maybe it'll come naturally some day. Honestly though, I think I'd rather adopt from another country.