dating as an adult

Guys, I have a huge announcement. This is the longest I've been single since I was 15. Thank you. Thank you, small crowd of children. For the last seven months, I've been working on myself, working out, and working, working, working, working, lots of therapy. And now that my heart has scraped itself off the floor and stitched its broken, bloody, mangled body together and cleaned herself up, I'm ready to get back out there. And I have never been someone who, like, goes on dates. I almost always meet a person through work or mutual friends and then we like each other and then I'm in a relationship for, like, three years. So, navigating the dating scene has been awkward. For example, the first date I went on went like this. I, like, watched all your videos to, like, you know, figure out what you're all about and I feel like I know so much more about your life than you know about my life. Oh, um, okay, cool. So, tell me your life story. I'm boring. Okay. But I do have two cats. Oh, okay, cool. You know, like, what the fuck is up with vegan places? Like, they're always trying to make, like, fake versions of, like, real food. Like, just stop fucking up. So, uh, what do you do for a living? Oh, I work for a tech company. Oh, that's cool. Do you like it? No, I fucking hate it. But I've been there for, like, eight years. Okay. And then I had to sit for another half hour and talk to this gentleman. But I'm learning how to be comfortable saying no. Not only because I don't want to waste anyone else's time, but I also don't want to hurt their feelings, you know, by being dishonest or by ghosting. Oh, I guess we can't have sex now because I'm another real transparent being. Well, haven't you seen the movie Ghost? Oh, no. I'll hit you up when I die. I'm sorry if I fuck you. So I started being totally upfront about how I feel, who I am, and what I'm looking for. And if someone can't meet those expectations, no hard feelings. And I know dating can be confusing and difficult, but if you navigate it by knowing what you want and are kind and respectful of people's feelings and your own, most importantly, it is an infinitely better process. And, yes, dating so far has been a literal nightmare. But as me and my friends have liked to say, first the D, then the C. C for content. I'm Anna Akana. Stay right here for an animated message from Squarespace. Thank you to Squarespace for sponsoring today's video. Squarespace is single, beautiful, and has award-winning templates. Plus, that baby is an all-in-one platform, so there's no need to install patches or upgrades ever. They have 24-hour customer service if you want to send a text at 3 a.m. and a simple and unique domain setup experience if you need to register a site with all your red flags. With Squarespace, you can create any kind of website, whether you're a matchmaker, a serial dater, or you just want to make a page where you blog about the turmoils of your dating life. Go to squarespace.com to start your free trial today and use the offer code Anna for 10% off at checkout.