Dating in the District

Well guys, now I’m a Cali girl in the DMV (DC – Maryland – Virginia for my Cali folks) and I’m getting acclimated to the new scenery. I can’t say that I just got here because I’ve been in the District since September. Besides, I feel like a native Washingtonian. I yell at the tourists who are on the Metro for the first time, “STAND TO THE RIGHT!” and I officially own a pair of foldable flats. Don’t worry, I still refuse to cross the street without the right away and, when I’m out, I make sure to teach them how to Dougie. Still, I find myself learning the lingo so I’ll probably be official in May. Oh yeah, and I’m dating in the District!

I, like many Cali women, thought all of the good men were clustered on the east coast because of the 3 sexy and intelligent “but-he-lives-too-far-away” men from the east coast that I met one summer. Don’t get me wrong, the Chocolate city is as cocoa sweet to the eye as they say, but dating isn’t what they cracked it up to be. I swore every man walked around in a business suit and had at least a Masters in Swag. In the town of the young professionals, I just KNEW my team would be full of DC’s finest by the end of the 1^st semester. WRONG! It’s the same sh!t, but in a different toilet. Or a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet (for the optimist like myself).

The good and bad that come with dating are no different in DC than they are in LA. Instead of the movies or the beach, it’s the local Happy Hour or a stroll through one of DC’s 7,000 parks.  If he’s trying to be original he’ll ask “Have you seen the monuments at night?”….”Yes, I have. At least 6 times”

Maybe it’s because I met some amazing men in CA or because I haven’t been here very long, but DC men are just like the ones in L.A.; they’re men. Depending on who you are, that could be good or bad, but the truth of the matter is that Y-chromosomes don’t change just because he’s been sipping the Potomac. I will say that the people, in general, are distinctly different, but dating in the District doesn’t seem to be going any better or worse than it was in L.A.

Yeah, but he's the President.
Their dating is a little different.

Doesn't this sound familiar? You meet him and you’re vibing for a bit. He’s a great guy, but after “hanging out” you realize why you would never marry him. Why waste time after that? We can keep “hanging out”, but….it’s not you, it’s me.

Full disclosure, I have not been on a lot of dates, but I’ve hung out with a few guys. (FYI, that’s code for a date that doesn’t turn out the way you planned. “Oh…we just hung out.” If I give a side Christian hug at the end, then we just hung out. If he brings a rose after riding in on a white horse, then it was a date…lol) Still, I’ve gone out enough to know that this is going to be an experience. The good part is that I’ve learned 2 very important lessons so far.

1. Nobody in DC is from DC. They are all from somewhere else even if it’s just VA or MD.
2. Be VERY careful of the men who actually ARE from DC. They are a special breed. If he has never been outside of DC, then proceed with caution if you must.

Prime example…DC native #1: So I met this guy at an event. My bad for picking the hoodest, but sexiest guy in the room who was also the only one NOT in a suit. Nevertheless, after 2 TEXT conversations and a Facebook add he tells me he wants to “lay” with me. Hold up! Really? That’s why DC has one of the highest AIDS/HIV rates in the nation. Then he tried to punk me into coming over by saying I was scared. Heck yeah I’m scared! I don’t even know your last name and you want me to come into a non-Metro-accessible part of Maryland? That sounds like the beginning of a CSI episode. Get out of here.

It hasn’t been ALL bad though. I did meet a nice guy who has a great conversation piece. Can you believe that someone can actually keep my attention? Just friends, but at least he’s giving dating in the District a good name….wait, does that mean we’re dating? [Deep sigh]…here we go again…lol.

Well DV readers, it seems this is going to be an experience, but I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

P.S. My friend convinced me to give up the Twitter strike so now you can follow me @DynamicVirtue.