Starting a new relationship can be tricky – the unknowns can be enough to keep people from beginning a relationship at all. But eventually, you find someone that makes you think the risk just might be worth it.

If your "someone" is from St. Louis, you're one of the lucky few. So taking a cue from our I-70 rival, here are 10 things you should know before dating a girl from St. Louis:

1. We might not technically be from St. Louis.

So maybe our address isn't within St. Louis limits, but if we told you the name of our suburb or town, you would have no clue where we were talking about. We are from the St. Louis area (and yes, southern Illinois counts), because the Lou is where our loyalties lie.

2. We are loyal.

Our city does not have a shining, glimmering history of peace, happiness, and rainbows – especially in the last several years. But either way, we are proud to stand by our city AND it's sports teams. St. Louisans are not fair-weather-fans, which brings me to...

3. We might be a little competitive.

This is your warning. We like to win, but really, who doesn't? We've grown up in a sports town, we are bound to take competition seriously. That being said, we know when to admit defeat. While our teams haven't always been successful, we come out every year confident in having a new chance.

4. If you're from Chicago, we are going to need to have a conversation.

Going along with our competitive streak, this is something you will just have to let us know early on. Not that we would rule out our relationship entirely, but if you are going to be rooting for the Cubs and Blackhawks throughout the year, we are going to need to mentally prepare ourselves and set some ground rules.

5. Our city pride extends all the way to our local food.

St. Louis is home to some unique foods that its citizens couldn't imagine life without. Chicago has deep-dish pizza and hotdogs, we have toasted ravioli, Imo's pizza, provel cheese, and gooey butter cake – just to name a few. Within our relationship, you are probably going to be introduced to many of these foods (and we will probably be watching your face with excitement and anticipation as you take your first bite). It's ok if you don't like some of it – Imo's is definitely something to get used to – but if you don't like toasted ravioli, something is probably wrong with you.

6. We hate traffic.

Not that anyone really enjoys traffic, but St. Louisans really hate it. We know that rush-hour in our city is nothing compared to larger cities, but most of us live out in suburbs, so unless you have to take the highway to work, we aren't really used to dealing with it on a daily basis.

7. We can be a cheap date.

One of the best things about St. Louis is that many of our attractions are free! While we are willing to drop some money on sports tickets, big bucks aren't necessary to have a fun date in the city. The zoo, the art museum, science center, history museum – Forest Park can keep you busy for days!

8. We like beer.

St. Louis is a beer city. Everywhere you turn, you'll find an advertisement for beer. Although they aren't free, brewery tours also provide you with several good date options. Our city has no shortage of bars, breweries, and, if you're into trying new things, craft beers.

9. We are used to all types of weather.

Sun, clouds, rain, snow: we get it all. Sometimes within 24 hours. St. Louis has no distinct "seasons." Sometimes, we have 70 degree days in January. Sometimes, we have snow in late March. It is what it is, and we are never without a variety of clothing.

10. We are usually up for anything.

Even though I've talked mostly about the city, St. Louisans aren't only interested in pavement. If you drive 30 minutes in pretty much any direction, you can be in an entirely different setting. Hiking in Castlewood State Park, driving through cornfields in southern Illinois (disclaimer: I'm from S. IL, I know it's not all that we have, but let's face it, many other people aren't used to the amount of cornfields we find "normal" – they might even think it's pretty) – you name it, you can find it close to St. Louis.

So when dating a girl from St. Louis, keep these 10 things in mind. But most of all, remember: you can take the girl out of St. Louis, but you can't take St. Louis out of the girl.