Austin Dating Magazine

DATING

By W. Scott Lewis

Of all the things I like about being married, one of the most comforting is the knowledge that there is absolutely no ambiguity about my relationship status. I have a ring, I have a marriage license, and I have a whole bunch of pictures of me kissing a woman in a wedding dress. I can comfortably refer to my significant other as “my wife” and not feel apprehensive that maybe she thinks we’re “just friends” or “casually dating.” Why couldn’t single life have been this simple?

ADVICE

Several of the questions for “Ask Liana” this month came from men and women concerned that they and their romantic partners aren’t “in the same place” in the relationship. It’s a common concern that manifests itself a number of ways—he doesn’t know where she stands, she’s wondering why he hasn’t said “I love you” yet, and so on. One woman wrote that she is confused because she’s been dating a man for over four months, and he hasn’t asked her to be his girlfriend yet, even though he is already saying, “I love you.”

RELATIONSHIPS

by Liana Knudsen

Yes! Opposites do attract physically. But attraction is different from compatibility. And opposites are NOT compatible in the long-term.
In discussions of love and matchmaking, you often hear the word “chemistry.” It turns out that chemistry is actually our body’s way of recognizing similar and unfamiliar DNA—In other words, compatible and incompatible genes. Our genetic makeup actually pushes us toward being attracted to people with a different genetic structure. That is why the initial physical attraction between two people has more to do with biology than love. Unfortunately, according to Pat Love in The Truth About Love, genetic compatibility does not always equal relationship compatibility. Just because you have chemistry with someone doesn’t mean they’ll make a good long-term relationship partner for you!

AROUND AUSTIN

You could easily spend a lifetime in Austin and not experience all there is to see and do, but even the most adventurous amongst us occasionally find ourselves relying too heavily on the same tired destinations to fill our dating repertoire. In the spirit of helping you return the flare to your dating life, here (in no particular order) is a list of ten of Austin’s best-kept secrets: