Time and time again I've heard "Don't date a car guy. They'll never have time for you and they'll waste all their money in their car." Imagine my concern when I find that the guy I have been talking to is a car guy. I could have walked away and listened to what society says but I, like usual, chose not to listen to what others tell me. I decided to take a chance and it is the best decision I have made so far.

Before I get started, I want to clarify something. Just like any relationship, there are ups and downs. Your partner is never going to be perfect no matter how much you wish. You are always going to come across issues, but you can always grow from them. One issue I have faced has been my boyfriend's driving. He is not the calmest driver (which is apparently typical of car guys). I often find myself gripping the armrest a little more than I would like. Despite this, his passion for cars brings a lot to our relationship.

One of the many benefits of dating a car guy is that they get you out of your comfort zone. Back to what I said before, my boyfriend drives a little wild. Nothing super dangerous but definitely not something your usual car driver would be comfortable doing (especially on my boyfriend's trips to Mexico).

I have always been a little scared of cars and driving. I have heard many stories and having to watch the videos of accidents in my driver's ed class did not help my anxiety of driving. I do not have a deathly fear or anything, but I do tend to avoid driving when possible. However, he tends to put me in situations that, while they make me uncomfortable, I am very much safe. This act of making me uncomfortable but still being supportive helps me to grow as a person and not be so worried when I am in a car. He chose to accept my anxiety and help me work through it which is a pretty good quality if you ask me.

Another benefit to dating a car guy is that you will never have to worry about taking your car to a shop again. Not only does this cut down on costs, it also prevents a shop taking advantage of you. If you're anything like me, and most women, you probably do not know everything about your car.

Before I started dating my boyfriend, I once took my car for an oil change and they tried to charge me a little over $70 for a cabin air filter. For those of you that do not know, a cabin air filter takes maybe three minutes to change if you do not know what you're doing and was only about $8 for the filter itself across the street at an auto parts store. That means they were charging me $62 for only a couple minutes of labor. All that on top of a $60 oil change. If you are dating a car guy, that isn't an issue. In our nine months of dating my boyfriend has offered to change my oil, has checked multiple concerns I have had, and has replaced both my headlights when one went out. Every issue I have had he has fixed for me and he has fixed it simply because he loves me and he loves cars.

Probably the most important benefit to dating a car guy is that they are always put in the work and stay resilient to fix something. This is a crucial quality in any relationship. If you and your partner are not willing to work together to fix an issue, you are not going to last very long. Relationships are very complicated and you often have to address problems together. Breaking down problems and running through possible solutions are a car guy's specialty.

The fact of the matter is, I love dating a car guy. He gets me out of my comfort zone and that can be a good thing. For those who say, "Well don't you disagree with where he spends his time and money?" No. I do not. Being passionate about something is never a bad thing. If he is happy, then so am I. Even if he spends all his money on car parts.