How do you tell someone you're in love with them without sounding too intense?

Why not just say what you said here?

Do you mean just be forthright about it?

@jessiemay25 Yes.

What’s the worst that could happen if your feeling are not reciprocated? The way I see it, you’ll both have time away to recover if it turns out that he does not feel the same way about you. Best of luck.

What do you really want? It sounds to me like you’d like to know he’ll be there when you get back. It sounds to me like you hope he’s already feeling as strong about you as you feel about him. Would you make a commitment to him at this point? Or are you really just at where you want to see what will happen?

Why do people not want to be too strong? I think they believe they will scare someone off. I don’t quite get that. Like, maybe you are a fisherman, and you have to reel the fish in gently, or else it will fight and get away? Or you have to tire it out in order to get it in the boat?

I guess it’s different for women than for men. Maybe you have to make the man feel like it is his idea. I don’t know. I don’t understand.

I always went for what I wanted. I might think I should hold back and play it cool, but I was never cool. I couldn’t hold back. When I fell in love, it was too strong for me to do anything but make it clear to the woman that I wanted her. Desperately, completely, with all my heart. Either she could handle it and wanted it, or she couldn’t and rejected me. Either way, it was clear.

So that was my approach. If I wanted her, I told her, and whatever happened, happened. I didn’t try to manage it. I couldn’t.

Maybe women are different. Maybe you can manage things. Maybe you can play a guy. Keep your agenda hidden somehow while you work him around to your way of seeing things. If you can do that, good luck. For me, I’d lay my cards on the table and see what happens. No messing around. Life is too short for that.

He’s mentioned he want’s to hear all my stories when I get back and vaguely about plans after my return…There might be the possibility that he hasn’t told me how he feels because I’m going or perhaps he is doing the same thing as me and waiting til the last minute! He told me to think about what I really want in a general sense..and I replied that I’m scared of what I want. One of those conversations where you both know what you’re alluding to but the topic is never said. Damn insecurities!

Just don’t do it while you’re cumming. There’s no telling how it will be received.

Whatever you do, say something. Someone has to take the next step in order for things to progress…

I think exactly what you said in
Your original post is perfect.

“I’m really looking forward to coming back. I’ll miss you very much” is about as mild as I could think of, without saying the real words. Your choice.

It will sound intense no matter how you tell him, cause it is intense! It’s love! “I think I love you”......

Is this the same guy you brought to our attention a week ago?

http://www.fluther.com/145161/am-i-in-this-situation-because-the-guy-im-seeing-is/

If so, I would enjoy my feelings without actually saying the words. If this is going to be a love relationship, it will be that with or without the codification.

“Hey I just met you,
And this sounds crazy,
But here’s my number,
So call me maybe”

Another thought; It may be that your two and a half month traveling will give you an entirely different view on this relationship; thus another good reason to wait for any irrevocable utterances.

Your feelings seemed to have changed in the last week. To me, they sound too fluid to say “I love you”. Perhaps you should do what @Sunny2 advises: let him know you are looking forward to when you get back and can be with him.

In the meantime, consider writing him (with pen and paper) two or three times a week, that will let him know you are thinking of him a lot. It can even be postcards, it doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it will be much more romantic if done with physical paper. And then you can sign each one with thins like “love” or “love and hugs” or “hugs and kisses”.

Save the “I love you” until you get back.

If I wanted to tell someone I loved them, but didn’t want to appear too intense, I’d write it in the snow. But that’s probably more a guy thing.