I've been in a relationship with my boyfriend for about a year and three months. We met two summers ago when I was going to be a freshman and he was going to be starting his sophomore year of college.
I knew of him before we officially met, to me he was known as, "the track star state champion who was super good looking." When I got to know him more and more, I realized that he was not the "dating" type and that he was more of the guy who wants to live his life and not have a care in the world.
As a couple of months passed, we became boyfriend and girlfriend and now here we are today. I've had my fair share of a long term relationship, but to my current boyfriend, this is newer to him. I've realized that dating someone who's not considered a "dating" type is unique to me, but so far it's been the best months of my life.
Here are a few key things to remember if you're dating someone who's never dated before:
1. They show love differently
Sometimes my boyfriend's way of showing love is him letting me have a turn on his video game instead of making dinner or giving me a back rub. It's a pretty big step for him since he usually doesn't let me play because I'm "not as good as him."
2. EVERYTHING will be communicated
We both have ideas of how our relationship is and they're both different. Feelings, plans, and so many other relationship-y topics are going to be talked about now. I've had more experience than he has in the long term department so communicating things with extra detail is important.
3. They don't quite know what to do when you're feeling down
I deal with a lot of stuff in my life, from having three jobs to taking 17 college credits and dealing with anxiety and depression, it can be quite a toll on me. He also deals with hard classes and then track and field. Whenever I'm having a little episode of some sort, all he can do is tell me, "everything will be alright," or "there are people out there who have it worse." And we all know when you're feeling down and out of it, those phrases are probably the worst thing someone can tell you, but for some reason they make me smile because I know he's trying his best to make me feel better.
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4. Patience is key
The first few months of our relationship was a roller coaster since we were newly dating and still learning things about each other. My boyfriend and I are very alike and very different in many ways. Being patient with him has surely made our relationship strong, even if he's a suck up most of the time.
5. Respect each other's space
My boyfriend has a lot of friends and is always hanging out with someone. He was always out with his friends and when he started dating me, he had to add me to the mix which was a little different for him. Giving each other space to hang out with their friends is huge in any relationship, especially one that someone is new to.
Although it's been some time since my boyfriend and I started dating, we're still learning from each other. He may be a pain in my butt most of the time (kidding, Adam), but I wouldn't want to experience life with anyone else.
