Your Relationship Experience!

[Kestrel]

I'm within the most popular option. I fell in love a couple times and it worked until it didn't. Hardly original.

 

[October Knight]

I've had many failed relationships, on and off line. Mostly irl though cause I like bangin' irl, yo. Longest 5 years, shortest like a week or two, drunken bs.

Now I'm with the girl that Im going to marry someday. We've been together for a little over a year and we met right here on Iwaku.

I knew somehow that I'd always met my future wifey on Iwaku.

 

[Peter Feels]

I've dated a lot of people offline and a handful online. Like October said, I like to be able to bang irl, so I tend to aim toward that. Though my girlfriend now is actually from Iwaku and is a mod here.

@Fluffy and I like to pretend we're the Brangelina of Iwaku. I'm Angelina 'cause I've got the lips for it. She's Brad because she has the butt.

 

[ASTA]

21.

Never dated before.

Don't plan on trying it anytime soon (if ever), either.

Once considered casting my bait into the water, but then I did a quick cost-benefit analysis of a relationship and finished up with a brief estimation of my position in the proverbial dating pool.

Lazy? Check.

Asocial? Check.

Introverted? Check.

Everything most women aren't looking for in a male? Check.

Ultimately winded up chucking my fishing rod into the closet.

I'd probably be a shit mate anyway.

 

[Vay]

I've given people a chance but they turned out to be the wrong ones. If there's someone out there who can bear to be with a freak like me and not eventually cheat on me or simply disappear without explanation I haven't met them.

 

[Esthalia]

My relationships are similar to Diana's, in the sense that they just happen.

My first relationships were with boys in middle school, some who liked me for me and some who liked me because I was budding faster than other girls. Some boys I liked and liked me back, but pretended we weren't together because I wasn't your typical definition of "cool". Dated a girl for a little while, (it was an interesting relationship because we had the same name and we totally pretended we were just bffs, but there was more there) then an online relationship after that, then finally I stayed single.

I dated a couple guys in high school, one of which I ended up marrying seven years later and divorcing five months after that (due to depression on both ends and a whole slew of other issues). Then I had a few very awesome online relationships, then dated a guy from my home town until one thing led to another and I was back in the arms of my husband, where I plan on staying for the rest of my life.

It's funny where life will take you, but you always end up where you're meant to be :D

 

[unanun]

The only truth of dating is that people aren't puzzle pieces waiting for their fit. They can adapt and mold to each other. My fiancee and I are pretty different people, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying each other's company and being open to trying new things together, or making good faith efforts to be interested in our respective spheres of life.

Waiting for the perfect other is falsehood.

 

[Esthalia]

The only truth of dating is that people aren't puzzle pieces waiting for their fit. They can adapt and mold to each other. My fiancee and I are pretty different people, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying each other's company and being open to trying new things together, or making good faith efforts to be interested in our respective spheres of life.

Waiting for the perfect other is falsehood.

I agree with you 100% I've always been told that my SO is not the type of person that I should be with, but that says nothing about how we feel about each other or the way we open up and step out of our own comfort zones to make each other happy. I'm happy you said that.

 

[The Philosoraptor]

To be honest, at nineteen years old, I can say that I am a pimp... Fifteen years before now. From preschool to fifth grade, I have had two "girlfriends", seven crushes, three crushes on me, and one stalker whose heart I broke (and in all honesty, I'm glad someone else got stuck with her before she truly dug her claws into me). From middle school on, I've experienced, at best, a girly giggle at a stupid action or some half-assed joke. College was a hopeful hunting ground (can I use that comparison? Yeah, I think so), but I'm not seeing much difference from high school. Besides the number of hot chicks. That s**t went straight through the roof.

Overall, though, this is a pretty empty chapter for me. It has no real benefit besides someone else sleeping near you half the time (as a very mobile sleeper I can say it wouldn't be comfortable for either party), some fun moments every other week, and socialization (*shudders*). Of course, because I need to analyze relationships and the concept of love to the point of listing the benefits and comparing them to what life would be like without them, this might be the thing that, coupled with a high level of social awkwardness, an unfortunate nervous tick, and a slightly overweight body, turns off the ladies.

But hey. I've at least gotten some kisses and hugs, @Levusti.

 

[Summer Rain]

I'll be 21 in July and have had a couple of boyfriends. The first one was my first boyfriend and first kiss at 17, but we were so young and silly that I wouldn't even really call it a relationship. Second boyfriend I was 19, he was my first *time* but ended up being a huge douche/moocher/lazy ass. I dated a guy for four dates, we never saw each again, and then I started dating my most recent boyfriend. We were together for over a year - he was good to me, but we weren't right for each other. I feel different about him now because he was on online dating sites when we dated. Yeah, that wasn't good.

Anyways, right now I'm enjoying the single life and being on my own. It's true that people will find you when you least expect them. I hate people that think "I'm a slut because I'm 19 and dated 5 guys" or "I'm a freak because I'm 30 and haven't dated anymore". Honestly, there is no reason to rush into dating someone, or a reason to date someone just for the sake of dating! I'm confident that someone lovely is going to come along and hopefully sweep me off my feet. In the mean time, I'm really quite content being on my own, doing my own thing, going out with friends, and enjoying summer!

To add - I met 3 out of the 4 guys on online dating sites. The first one was a high school boyfriend who I met in nineth grade. I really enjoy online dating, because you can "screen" people before you meet them; to an extent, of course. I think physical attraction is important so it's nice to be able to scroll through photos. Of course, some of the hottest guys on there can be the worst! It is a great way to meet people though if you want to meet some people you might not normally get in touch with. :) I might go back to it, but right now, I love going out and like I said, enjoying my single life!

 

[Fluffy]

I was eehhh... 15? when I started dating people. Even as a kindergartener I was solitary and thought dating was gross. Honestly the idea of it never ever appealed to me until the beginning of high school when I developed a better understanding of feelings and making connections. And sex.

All relationships prior to my current one made me miserable in some way. My parents were abusive, so I had a tendency to go for people who made me feel like crap, because that's what I was used to feeling. (Gawd that sounds pathetic now that I type it out.) I had 2 over the years that were serious and somewhat long lasting, because I didn't like the idea of dating a bunch of different people. Pretty much I stuck to whoever I was with until I or they couldn't take it anymore. It sounds way too exhausting to have one night stands, few day long relationships, and what have you. Besides, it's not easy to attract people. >__> I'm horribly awkward and I look weird, so I want to be around someone that's willing to put up with that.

I don't regret these experiences at all, I should add. There were good times, and the life lessons were beneficial. I learned a lot about myself and the types of people I'm compatible with.

I've had only 1 online relationship, which was with @The Butterfly. Most of our bonding during the earlier days of our friendship was done through hours of playing Team Fortress 2. (We're adorable as fuck with our nerdy love story. 8P) Long distance wasn't appealing to me for the longest time. But for some reason, I took a chance on this jerkbag and ended up having a baby with him. NO RAGRETS!

 

[Arcadia]

I've had about one day's worth of dating experience. Basically, we decided we'd go out together, then the next day, her friend texts me to break up with me. That was fun. XD

 

[Muna]

I have a long history of dating the wrong people. I've had one ex empty my bank account and accuse me of owing him money. Another went crazy and stalked me for years.... Not kidding, he would show up at school (high school) and wait for me to get out of class (after he had dropped out). He would show up at my parents' house and wait for me, under the excuse of helping my dad fix the roof, work on the car, just about anything he could think of to be there. He threatened me and my mom when I refused to see him. It got to the point where I needed a restraining order, considering he followed me across state lines. He still attempts to contact me on Facebook and I've run into him around town a couple of times in the last several months. Edit: I dated the crazy dude when I was 14 and 15. He's still giving me problems, and I'm 24 now.

So then, I met my husband and started dating him when I was 17. It was great for a while, but things happen. I don't like to talk about that.

I've been cheated on, lied to, manipulated, and over the years I learned to care less.

 

[Grif ♥]

Two so far. One if you don't count online relationships, but I do. I'm eighteen, coming on nineteen to give some perspective.

The first started... maybe fourteen or fifteen months ago ago with a girl I met online. It was fantastic, but I think as university rolled along for both of us in August/September it became harder and harder to keep in contact on a regular basis, and we both had a lot of new responsibilities to manage, so we decided to end it so we could both focus on university life better. That lasted for about half a year, and now that we've both settled in properly we're friends again. Yaaay.

A few months later, after some matchmaking coordinated by a devious friend of mine, I started seeing one of my best friends who I had met at university only a short time prior to that. As completely mental as she is, she and I are still together, and have been for... about half a year again, actually. She's lovely, really, for a vegan.

 

[Hydronine]

You bet your sweet arse I'm in on this thread. I've been in a lot of spectacularly failed relationships.

And when I say that- I mean that if I had one too many drinks and you caught me on skype I'd have quite a few fun stories and memories for people to either laugh at, or stare at me with a horrified expression until I shrug it off.

Let's start this right- I started my first real relationship when I was in grade school, right before the change-over into middle school. Kinda set the tone for going after guys who turned out to not mesh with me.

I've had one or two girlfriends and a few boyfriends. Longest, five years. Shortest- a week.

Lemme explain that second part because this actually a funny story. You know how some guys bitch that they "Never are given a chance?" by their female friends? Yeah. About that.

This guy was the best friend of my first boyfriend- total nice guy. No idea why they hung out together. One was a right self-absorbed ass who lied more than he told the truth- the other was a sweetheart who I really saw as kin more than dating material.

But, being that I clearly had some kind of a problem with being single- I was willing to try and put effort into a relationship that I wasn't... thrilled about. I gave him a chance, and for a time we tried to make things work. But when he found out I was changing schools, he threw the scariest shitfit I had ever seen in my life. I remember feeling really taken aback by this, because I had told him that it might happen, and I never saw that coming. I never had thought that when I told him, I would then be set up to take the fall for every problem he had with our current school, and me leaving was the last straw. He didn't want to be alone. But I was literally getting my ass handed to me by someone who had beaten brain cancer (Well, he stuck to being an asshole throughout the ordeal.) So, I was determined to get the fuck out of that school.

I tried to ignore the outburst, tried to sit through the anger he lashed out with. It was his version of trying to make up that had me walking him to the door.

Two seconds after his shitstorm, he was cuddling up to me, apologizing and trying to kiss me.

Dude, you can't call a girl a bitch for changing schools when she's getting the shit bullied out of her. You don't wait until it's time to go throw a fit, when you could have said something before that point. And you CERTAINLY don't immediately go in for a kiss after that shit.

This relationship was the second reason why my brother started getting really angry with my shit- he walked in on this dramafest of me literally trying to shove the guy out the door, crying, being a stupid emotional preteen who just wanted a friend and that friend wanted nothing more than a relationship with me.

Pretty much all my shit's a dramafest.

But I will admit I've had quite a few spectacular romps. Now I'm in a relationship, just hit four years and we're looking into buying a house. And we enjoy the occasional drunken escapades with friends.

So is life.

 

[Razilin]

I played the field

I settled down

Sex is awesome

Figured out that all the girls who want bad boys, actually just want guys who are confident in themselves

Figured out that being married/attached/in a relationship does actually make you more attractive to single women for some strange reason

Figured out Geeky Girls really dig me - where was that noise back when i was in high school?

 

[Esper]

What is your dating experience and how do you feel about it?
Long enough to know it is a numbers game that can be frustrating as hell. Glad I am off the market though. Planning a September wedding. Small and without all the extra stuff.

For those who've had dating experience, do you think you rushed into it or were you ready?

I think I did it backwards really. Reproduction then dating, but that is just me. It has been a long, strange trip, but I think everyone does things in their own time. Rushed for me might be glacial for someone else and vice versa. Depends on many factors and the pairing (or more as the case may be).

 

[Gonzo]

19.

Started dating when I was 14. 2 real life relationships, and 2 online. The first three finished because of reasons, as all relationships do. This last one is back on. That's been going for about a year now. Saw her last week for the first time in person. Gonna try to make things work.

 

[ᴛᴏᴄᴋᴀ]

My dating experience ended at the age of twenty when I got married. Before that though, I had dated a few people. I was in a long term relationship all throughout high school, but when I got out, the relationship ended and I played the fields a bit. Truthfully though, I fucking hate dating.

 

[CrazyUnicorn]

I'm 19. Haven't dated a lot. Well. One relationship lasted 2 months. Then I broke up with him. I didn't really like kissing. And didn't have anything to say to him. And I can't be in a relationship with someone I don't like to talk to. Not that I talk a lot..
Before that I tried with another guy - but that did really not work out. Nope.
I had a guy that had a crush on me - he was actually a real good friend. I was not interested. Then we weren't friends anymore.
I guess my problem is that I don't particularly like being touched - or haven't for a very long time. There actually have been times I couldn't even tolerate a hug from my mother. It's a lot better now - I can hug my friends without looking as if someone is inflicting physical pain or just freezing. But not very good for any kind of romantic relationship. I'm socially awkward and often have no idea what to say. And of course I have a trust-issues. I guess I won't have a proper relationship anytime soon.