Dating...Positives and Negatives

Courtesy of Margarita for a little briefing about our collaboration- "Elle and I were debating the ins and outs of dating in your 20s, or more specifically what are the pros and cons of being single, unattached females in two different metropolitan cities, Boston and New York. Discounting slight regional differences, men are the same everywhere. She took the con side (initially, I was indifferent to which side I argued but once I started to think about it, I found it was much easier to find negatives in the situation than positives), and I set out to prove why dating in your 20s is the funnest thing ever. There has to be reasons why we continually subject ourselves to awkward conversations with relative male strangers, because honestly, I really do love dating! The question is, Why?"

Ok...now here are my list of negatives:

1. Awkward first date dinner interviews. I actually refuse to go to dinner on first dates for this exact reason. When I eat, I like to do so comfortably without the awkwardness of someone staring down my throat looking for a response to a completely asinine question that I thought was rhetorical. Not to mention the food in teeth situation which eliminates salads, veggies,etc. Girls also do stupid things like trying to squeeze into clothing that doesn't quite fit, so you really try to avoid anything with pasta, bread or anything carb related…hmm…what's left?
2. Always having to wear semi respectable undergarment sets that match. Even though I've heard numerous times from men, that they couldn't care less about this; we women still feel the need to follow through with this tradition.
3. Constant make up application…god forbid the person you're dating see you without mascara and lipgloss! The horror!
4. Comfortable clothes are a taboo even though you're just sitting around your or his apt. You have to find something that's cute and casual even though you want to wear the scrubs that you kept from your old bf who was in med school and a big t-shirt you stole from your dad's closet.
5. Avoiding topics that are worthwhile in hopes of not offending or scaring the person (i.e. politics, religion, your dysfunctional family stories).
6. Sexual confusion…not orientation hopefully, but do you kiss him after the first date? Have sex after a month and if you do will he think you're easy? You have to time these things perfectly, almost like cooking a soufflé. Take it out too early or late and it's ruined.
7. Holiday gifts-always difficult when you just started dating someone. Should you get someone something for his birthday, even though you've only been dating him for like a month? I think a card should be sufficient but then when your birthday rolls around a few weeks later he gets you an actual gift. Now you feel embarrassed and like a complete cheap ass.
8. Bodily function-enough said.
9. Worrying about morning appearance. If you stay over, you have to think of things like morning breath, messed up hair, shower situation (do you take one there or go home), etc
10. Walk of Shame…if you are just dating you probably don't have a drawer or stash of extra clothes over the guy's house. As such, you are forced to go outside the next morning wearing whatever party outfit you had on the prior night. Reminder to self…never do this on Halloween. Walking outside as a 25 year old whored-out girlscout wouldn't be a good look for anyone…

**OK...now go check our Margarita's side! http://www.smoresandmargaritas.blogspot.com/