There's no getting around it: dating can suck. More often than not it can feel something along the lines of awkward, forced, and downright confusing. While you may often wish that there was a guide to dating etiquette, the truth is we're all winging it.
While each person has their own dating styleand beliefs, some things tend to be regional. What dating looks like in the United Statescan vary immensely due to where a person lives. From who asks who out to date activities, how people date can have a lot to do with where they're from.
Keep in mind that many of these reference relationships between people who identify as men and people who identify as women, so experiences may vary depending on your gender identity and sexual orientation. And all people are different, so this is just a few experiences of many daters around the country.
Who initiates the date: Northeast: Anyone.
"Everything is so casual that women are feeling more and more comfortable asking a guy to grab drinks after work, compared to years ago when it may have been looked 'desperate' for a woman to ask a man on a date" - Kayla, New York, told Elle
"The dating scene in Philly is super casual and goes between guys asking girls out and girls asking guys out." - Cara, Philadelphia, told Elle
Northwest: Anyone.
"[I'm in college and] on my campus there's a strong sense of feminism, so the girls often feel that they have the same right to initiate a date, pick up the guy for the date, and pay for the date." - Ari, Oregon, told Elle
Southeast: The guy.
"Usually the initiation still comes from the guy, but it isn't unusual for the girl to initiate." - Kaley, North Carolina, told Elle
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