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While there have been changes within the new year, the quest for love remains the same for many. For this week's episode, we cover the top dating trends of 2023. Dating experts have revealed that people are improving their ability to articulate what they do and don’t want from potential partners. We also discover that people are broadening their horizons—geographically. Tune in to learn more!
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While there have been changes within the new year, the quest for love remains the same for many. For this week's episode, we cover the top dating trends of 2023. Dating experts have revealed that people are improving their ability to articulate what they do and don’t want from potential partners. We also discover that people are broadening their horizons—geographically. Tune in to learn more!
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The speaker discusses various dating trends for 2023. These include being open to dating beyond one's usual physical type, setting firmer boundaries, prioritizing work-life balance, seeking partners outside of one's region, men rejecting masculine stereotypes, and being more introspective about gender roles. The speaker also mentions her recent dating experiences and upcoming move to a new house. This is something that you're going to have to talk about before you think about moving in with somebody, getting engaged, getting married, like these are conversations that you're going to have to have and, you know, expectations are going to need to be set there. Hi, love. Welcome back to another episode of Branded and Tailored. If you didn't get a chance to check out last week's episode with our first special guest, Lauren, go do that. She talks about how she turned one of her passions into a career and how she now is in a healthy, happy marriage after a lot of turbulent dating. Yes, a lot of great gems in that episode. Please definitely check that out. And speaking of turbulent dating, I have a update story and, yeah, not so successful dating story, but, I mean, one that maybe y'all can learn from. So ready for this? I'm so ready. So it's really unfortunate, really, because the guy that I recently went out with, went out with him on a couple different dates and sort of, like, checkmarked all the boxes. He was athletic, super funny. We went to, I mean, this was kind of tailing back a couple weeks ago, but we went to a couple different hockey games and it was a lot of fun. But, yeah, I got the ick from him and, I mean, not that we're, like, nobody ghosted each other, like, we're still on good terms, but it just kind of fizzled out, I guess. And here's the kicker. So, like I said, all the boxes were checked, he's great, he's sweet, whatever, funny, like, intelligent, like, everything, right? I'm like, oh, yeah, like, this guy's great, went on a few dates. Okay. So one of the dates, he invited me to his place to, I think, just watch a movie or whatever, watch sports after dinner, which was fine, whatever. But here's the thing, he has a dog. And I love dogs, I really do. But this dog was a COVID puppy and the guy adopted the dog from a shelter, so already there's a little bit of trouble with this young pup. And apparently he was really abused and is the kind of dog that guards his food and, especially during the pandemic, now guards his owner. So the dog is a mutt, he's part husky and a bunch of other things. And so when I went over to his place, the dog just, I don't know, like, circled me and wasn't really friendly, like, I couldn't really pet the dog, he kind of growled at me when I first initially saw him and met him. And I asked the guy that I went over to his house and said, hey, like, does your dog ever bit anybody? Because I'm kind of nervous here. He goes, oh, I mean, only to me, like, just one time. Like, oh, that's reassuring. So, yeah, long story short, the whole entire time just super anxious, you know, trying to get through whatever, I don't even remember what movie we were watching. But like I said, the dog was just, like, circling me like a hungry shark. Like, oh, like, why are you near my owner? And just, like, up near my face, too. I swear, I thought this dog was going to bite me. So, yeah, long story short, like, the guy checkmarked all the boxes. He was great. He was fine. Personality was great. Just, I can't handle the dog. I really can't. And that's something where, yeah, the dog is young, it's going to stay around for a while. And no, I'm just not going to entertain somebody that has a dog that just is, might be vicious. And a large dog, resource guarding everything. Yes, yes. Can be very scary. And then on top of it, it wasn't like he, the guy was super submissive about it, too. Like, oh, it's okay, don't be mean. Like, no. If I had a dog that was resource guarding me, like, put that dog in another room. Put it elsewhere, so that way I can be at peace. I don't need to be anxious and, like, worry if I'm going to leave here with my face attached, you know? Be the pack leader. Yeah. You've got to be the pack leader. Yeah. So, that was a swing and a miss. A swing and a miss. But it's okay. It's fine. We're entering hot girl season. Summer is approaching. We had weather lately that's been in the upper 70s and even touching 80s, which is great. I thrive on warm weather and outdoor activities, all this up and coming, swimming. Taylor's been tanning in the parking lot of her apartment. That is my home base, yes. Got to soak up the rays when you can because during the week I'm in my office or rounding up students. So, yep, got to enjoy it while I can. There's trapping in the parking lot. I mean, hey. Got to do it. Got to do it. I don't know. These dating apps aren't happening, so maybe out in the wild. Got to be glistening. She's going to be glistening in the parking lot, so a man's going to drive by and be like, yo, girl. You want to glow with me? You're glowing, but you glow better in my front seat here. Oh. Oh. That's it. Okay. Please drive away, sir. Please drive away. But, Brandi, other than that, what's been new with you? Oh. Do we have a birthday coming up? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep. We'll wait for that. But, yeah, the next time an episode airs, I will be 31. Woo! So I no longer will be just 30. I'll be into my 30s, so that's exciting. I found a few gray hairs, so I'm becoming a distinguished woman, and I'm here for it. There you go. You know what? In my 20s, I dreaded turning 30, but then in my 30s, I'm really thriving. Yeah. Honestly. I have this I don't care attitude. I'm enjoying life. Why were we afraid of turning 30? I don't get it. 30s are where it's happening. Yeah. I feel like 30s are going to be much better than 20s. For sure. A little bit grown up, and that was everybody else. We're grown up. We have money. We can go out and do things. I mean, in your 20s, you graduate college, and you're still figuring things out, and it's just thrown into adulthood, and now that we're immersed into it for a good minute, now, okay, time to thrive. Time to... Some things seem like a huge deal. It's just like, I ain't going to worry about that. Mm-hmm. Nope. I got real stuff to worry about. I'm not worried about everything. I'm picking what I'm going to be worried about now. Exactly. Exactly. I think that's what 30s are teaching me so far. Good. Good. Worry about something. Don't worry about everything. Mm-hmm. I got time for all that. We don't have time for it all. Right. Right. There's no need to stress. Life is short. I mean, there's plenty of things to stress and worry about, but at the end of the day, everything's going to work out, no matter what. At the end of the day, you just need to try to enjoy life more of the time than not. Mm-hmm. You're not going to be doing that if you're worrying about everything all the time. Exactly. Go go to therapy. Here's our plug. Oh, my. Okay, so today's topic kind of segues from our previous episode with Lauren, talking about dating and expanding your horizons, expanding outside your normal dating pool or the characteristics that you go for. So I did a little research, and we found different characteristics for the dating trends of 2023. What are they? Okay. So I have these bulleted off to seven different categories, and here are the top trends. So number one, so this trend is called open casting. All right. What does that mean? Okay, so open casting. People are open to dating beyond their typical physical type. They no longer are dating the type of people that their friends would expect, and daters are looking for emotional maturity over physical appearance. Hmm. If I take a term concept from my field and make it nerdy, people are net widening. They're casting their net wider. There you go. So people are willing to catch somebody that maybe doesn't look the physical way that is their preference or maybe acts differently or has a different type of career or whatever it may be. So people are just more open to the type of partner that they're willing to date. Right, right. I mean, I know early in my 20s and college years, I mean, whatever, you know, I had definitely a type. I mean, since I played sports in college, I went through the athletic guys, and, you know, that type just, when you go out into the real world, you find that it's not, you know, suitable for your lifestyle or what you want a partner to be. You know, there's got to be other characteristics, other features that, oh, my God, you look hot in shorts. Great. You look great on the beach. Sure. Okay. So there you go, y'all. So open casting. So, again, just broaden your horizons and just that physical appearance. Yes, we want somebody that is great looking. We need that attraction, but it doesn't have to be that solid 10. They could just be cute, and their quirks make them extra attractive. Yeah. Attraction is more than just physical appearance anyways. Absolutely. Ready for number two? Hit me. There you go. So guard railing is number two. This is the buzzword. So guard railing is the new buzzword for setting firmer boundaries. During the pandemic, people learned how to physically isolate, and since the return to the office and increasing social life activity, many still feel overwhelmed. As a result, daters are implementing stronger personal boundaries to protect themselves from being hurt during dating. I mean, it kind of sounds solid. I mean, people got used to being single, and they're like, that's fine. I survive. Well, I just like that, too, just that awareness of, okay, you can't do it all. You know, you need personal boundaries and have that self-awareness of, you know, learning how to say no to people. You know, if the guy that you really like, or girl, you know, we're talking about both people, say to you, hey, like, do you want to go on a date with me this Thursday night? But, you know, you just had a crazy week of work, and that Thursday's your only day of rest. Like, please take it. Feel free to tell that person no, because they're going to respect you giving them a solid answer and respecting your own personal needs rather than just being that yes person and saying yes to everything and really not getting what you need out of life or whatever you need. And if they don't respect that, then that's not somebody you want to be with anyway, so great exercise either way. Exactly. Exactly. So number three is improved work and personal life. So it kind of ties back to number two. So apparently with this website that we found, almost half of the dating respondents indicated a desire for mates who prioritize their work-life balance. Yeah, agreed. These are all things we've talked about, too. I know. Well, it's kind of good that everything that we've talked about and discussed openly is just aligning with other research and other articles that are posted around. I mean, this is kind of, to me, just common sense, but it's also good to reemphasize and reinforce all those statements that we made prior. Well, it's nice that other people are thinking about the things we're thinking about, too. Right. Right. Exactly. Exactly. Treat yourself, girl. You know that, right? You know, you know. You know, I'll be treating myself in the parking lot. That's what I'll be doing. You'll be glowing in the parking lot. Oh, my gosh. I love it. I feel like I'm a lizard when it comes to summer. I just, I cannot get enough of the sun. I love it. I love the warmth. I love just country music and blaring that and I don't know, with like a good smoothie or something. I just, this is great. The fact that Taylor Tan's in the parking lot is one of my favorite things about her and then that she calls herself a lizard for doing it. It just makes it that much better. It really is. It really is. Oh, well, update. So, Cecile and I did find a house. So, whoo! Can't freaking wait. It has a huge deck, so it won't be a parking lot lord anymore. We're moving in July 1st. Like, I kid you not, I cannot wait. It's so close to my work. It's huge. It has a garage where my car will be stowed and safely secured. I am going to take over the whole basement of that place. So, that Ke$ha star, like, put me in your basement. Ooh. That'll be me. Tay's in the basement. Tay's living in Cecile's basement. It's our house. It's not just Cecile's basement. It's our house. Hello. Maybe he's got a whole floor. Yes, yes. Well, like, it works out that way. That way, if I have, like, company over, you know, we're in the basement hanging out, then we've got the living room and kitchen we share. But, anyway, it has a huge deck. Super pumped about that. There's a backyard. So, I already am thinking about, like, bonfires this summer and fall. I'm telling him. Yeah, like I said, just super pumped for my new place coming soon. Taylor is going to get to be a deck lizard instead of a parking lot lizard. Yes. All about it. All about it. I'd be able to take the ta-tas out, too. I don't know. There's a direct neighbor right behind us. Oh, darn. So, yeah. I mean, don't really want to be that risque. Which I don't know. I don't know our neighbors. Maybe they won't mind. But you might. But maybe I would be at least a decent neighbor. Yeah. That would be a really indecently decent neighbor. Right. I don't want to come off the jump like that. But, go. Anyway. So, number four is wonder love. So, more and more daters are open to seeking people in cities other than their own. As remote work popularized, the freedom to work from anywhere induced singles to look for people outside their region to date. I think that's interesting, but I'm definitely not into that. How are you going to, you know, figure out a relationship? Yeah. Well, I mean, that is interesting, and I guess it just depends on your line of work. Like, for example, say you work for a company that has been in the office prior to 2020 and now the silver lining with 2020 and through COVID has been, okay, we realize we can efficiently work remotely. So, yeah, let's go ahead and take our company and allow our workers to work remotely. So, maybe if a person is doing a job and traveling quite a bit and they have that ability to work remotely, like, I could see that being a reasonable way of, like, hey, I live in podunk whatever. I'm traveling to all these cities. Like, yeah, my chances of meeting somebody in a city are, you know, a lot higher than where I live, which is, like, no man's land. I mean, I feel that, but then, like, what are you supposed to do, Lou, to figure out if you want to date someone? I mean, I guess. I don't know. Yeah. I don't know. Like I said, not ideal. During the pandemic, there was a guy that I talked to from Texas, believe it or not. But you already knew him, right? I already did know him, yeah. Yeah, fair then, if it's somebody you already know. Right. And we met during spring break while I lived in Florida, believe it or not. Okay. I guess so. There you go. There you go. Yeah. Well, I was thriving when I lived in Florida. I mean, after work, I would just go and, again, be a beach lizard. Beach lizard. That era of my life. And I would just play volleyball with random people. And he was a – did I say this prior? Maybe not. He was a football coach in Texas. And that was their spring break week or whatever. They just got done with spring ball. So him and his friends came to Tampa to, I mean, celebrate, hang out, whatever. And we ran into each other. And then that's kind of what sparked it. And then when the pandemic hit, I mean, we still communicated, still talked, whatever. And his team actually played a few games in Utah. So there were a couple of times where I did see him, especially during that awkward period where we didn't have a fall season, but then he ended up having a spring season. So they had spring games, but it was real-life games, not just for play or whatever. So, yeah, I don't know. But, I mean, that's my example of, like, playing a long-distance game. But, yeah, definitely not ideal for at least my line of work. I've got to be in person and kind of hunker down in one area. Yeah, in my brain, this just looks like, ooh, I'm on Tinder. Set my distance to 1,000 miles. Ooh, I matched with somebody in Chicago. I'm just making things up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, oh, this person in Chicago seems great. I guess I have to move there now to see if I want him to be my boyfriend. I'm like, what? Right, right. Well, how about this? So we brought up the dating apps, right? Recently, my dating apps, like, apparently I'm just being so picky because the one recent match I got was freaking Columbus, Ohio. Oh, Taylor. It's like miles and miles away. I got that match. I'm like, oh, he's cute. It's like, oh, we matched, but you live so far away. I'm like, all right. Are you just telling me to give up right now, take a little break? I mean, ugh. I guess, you know, see who rolls around during the summer to come here for the next, you know, whole term. Right. Oh, yeah, I don't know. Like I said, I'm ready to find people in the wild. I'm kind of over these dating apps. I'm over just – I mean, I'm not intensely looking for somebody, but just I'm not here to have fun. I'm not here to meet people and – Available. See what happens, right? Potentially available. See what happens. Number five. So this one, very mature. I really like this one. So men are rejecting masculine stereotypes. Men are becoming more introspective about gender roles. Men have admitted to examining their behavior over the last year. They're challenging stereotypes that suggest that men should not show emotion and have become more outspoken about how they feel. This is great news for the world. Super great. Beyond dating. This is great. Men are allowed to have feelings now? Men are allowed to show emotion? I mean, yes, yes, please, please do so. Please express how you feel. You don't need to be this macho guy that never shows emotion, that's afraid to cry. Like, no. Please, we all need somebody to lean on. We all need to vent from time to time. I mean, we all endure stressors and pressures of life, personal life, et cetera. So just please let it out. Yeah, to me, you can be a manly man and talk about your feelings. You can do things like mow your yard and change your oil and talk about olive juice and be a manly man. Talk about olive juice. Olive juice. Right, right. I just, yeah, I really am glad to see this trend happening for all the guys, for all the masses. Yeah, I mean, all men don't need to be second amendment guns and fighting. Women in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant. Right, right. Gosh. So please be a more dimensional human being. Like, you can have other characteristics and more things involved in your personality than all of that. Than being manly. I only eat steak and this. That's all I do. Hey, suck up some potatoes. America. That's all I think about is that typical masculine stereotypical dude. Like, no, no. Gotta wear my cuffs and my turtleneck. Gotta cut off some jeans. Dork. Dork. America. America. Don't take my guns. Fourth of July, dork. Gotta get some denim rompers. Have you seen the rompems? The what? Rompems. What are those? You know rompers? Yes. Rompems. Rompers for men. Rompems. Oh. Interesting. Yeah. Rompems. Is it just like a denim? Or they could be a... No, different fabrics. It's just men, male rompers. Rompems. I have not... Romper. Like, her. Them. Rompems. A rompem. A rompem. Oh. Where have you seen this? One of my friends was potentially wearing a rompem to the bachelor party that I'm going to. Here you go. Did you warn him about wearing a rompem? Oh, no. I would be so fucking happy if he wore a rompem. I mean, he's an adorable man, and if he's in a rompem, I'm just... It's going to make me so happy. I mean, rompers are great. They're a good look. I love it. You just put it on, and you're set. Right? But to go to the bathroom is the worst. You have to take the whole thing off. Taylor. No, bigger guy. They don't have to squat to pee. What if he's got to do a number two? Well, then... Then, yeah. Then his rompem's going to be on the floor. Oh, wait. I have so many questions. So, wait. It's going to zip in the back? I don't know. With who? Man. I don't know. Do they zip in the front? Do they zip on the side? I don't know. I have so many questions about this. I don't know if they have wiener flaps. I have one. Wiener flaps? Yes. I mean, it looks like I've got to do some research and find out what rompems look like. I hope he doesn't. That'd be great. Rompems. Rompems. But, yes. So, reject those masculine stereotypes. Wear your rompems. Wear your rompems. Yeah. Do it all. Good. There's no limitations. So, we're coming down to the wire now with number six. More open and expressive about intimacy. Hmm. So, dating trends for 2023 show that more daters wanting to explore and openly discuss their sexual desires. More than half of all daters revealed a wish to discuss sexual desires early in the relationship. And, although respondents voiced their sexual openness, experts cautioned that saying what you want doesn't mean that's what you'll get in the end. Well, duh. Yeah. But, I think that's good to just, you know, sexual compatibility is a thing. Right. Which, I was super surprised with our one episode when we got all the feedback from your guys that you pulled with all their insight with this that that wasn't one of the things that they suggested, like sexual compatibility. You know, I wonder, too, if this is something that women think about. I'm really interested to see the gender breakdown for that and if it's different. You know, a lot of guys will say even, like, not great sex still isn't bad, but, like, for women? Yeah. There's a difference. It could be real bad. There's a difference. For sure. I kind of go back to that pizza analogy. Like, even bad pizza is still pizza. That's what guys think. Yeah. Yeah. I don't feel like that. I don't. I don't. No, I agree with that. There needs to be some compatibility. I recently watched a TikTok video where the one woman spoke about if you are a really good kisser, then that's an indication that you're really good at sex, which I didn't think about before, but then I reflected on the people that I've been with, and those that were bad kissers were also bad in other areas. I think maybe it's a little bit about someone's attentiveness and their ability to take cues. How well the two of you do that together? I don't know. I don't know what I'm trying to say. Just be, I guess, just be open when it comes to that area, and, I mean, definitely not from the jump, either. I mean, I would emphasize maybe hopefully you're dating this person for a while, and you get comfortable with that person to enter that space with, and then intimacy is, I mean, I feel like it's a very personal act. I don't know. I mean, I personally don't take it lightly. I guess I'll put it that way. Anybody that I'm intimate with is somebody that I definitely can see myself long-term with, or just, like, other things. Like, I really care about them, and we dated for a while, or, you know. Yeah. I think if you're thinking long-term, like, let's talk about it like it's pizza. Do you like the same type of toppings on your pizza, or are you going to have to split the pizza every time, or get two separate pizzas? Because at some point, that's going to get inconvenient. Mm-hmm. 100%. And if you're only eating pizza with that person, we should like some shared toppings. And also, too, like, I know for me, like, if we talk about love languages, one of my strongest love languages is physical touch, and obviously being intimate is a lot of physical touch. Yeah. So, yeah, just for me, I personally really guard that space because, shoot, there's an opportunity where if I'm intimate with that person, like, I'm definitely going to develop strong feelings with that person. And then just the hormones that happen after you're intimate with somebody. Like, for me, my cuddle hormone is really, like, spiking. Oh, yeah. For women. Really, I mean, yeah. I mean, for all women, it, you know, spikes and it develops. But, I mean, I feel like it definitely resonates and spikes for me. So I'm careful about that. Yeah. I don't like a lot of people touching me, even though I'm a kind of touchy person because it's just a Greek in me. But, yeah. You spit on people. But that's for good luck, though. Yeah. Spitting on people is for good luck. Yeah. But then you, like, kiss people on the cheek when you see them. So I'm like, I'm a hugger, but I'm like, definitely don't touch my leg and, you know, things like that. So that, to me, is just, you know, something that I only do with people that I'm very comfortable with. So that's one of my love languages. And another one is, like, talking. Yeah. Roasting. Love roasting. Love roasting. Yeah. Quality time would be for me. Quality time, just overall being thoughtful. Referring back to our previous episodes of, hey, whenever you're going on a date with somebody or, I don't know, doing activities, gifts, whatever, it's thoughtful. It's intentional. It's gearing towards that person's personality and that person's interests. You know, like, for me, I'm an active person, so hopefully, like, the person I'm dating wants to be active as well. And, hey, Taylor, instead of just our usual go out to dinner and whatever, why don't we take a walk in the park, go for a hike, go to a sporting event, you know, something else or something that's outside the box that would engage us in conversation and allow us to get to know each other better. So. Hike and picnic. Hike and picnic. There you go. Charcuterie board in the woods. Ooh. I'm about the woods. Depends. Hiking in the woods. We're in West Lavena. Everything is the woods here. True. True. So, yeah, I like that idea as well. All right. We ready for the last one? What's number seven? Number seven. Not so serious, but, I mean, a good reminder, good thing to keep in mind. So let's talk finances. So talking finances is no longer taboo. Daters can expect more honest conversations about money, credit scores, and debt early in the dating experience. Daters have indicated setting firm financial boundaries for themselves as well as potential dates. Dates have been more drawn to casual dates rather than the over-the-top fancy influencer outings. And daters who manage their money well will be more respected in 2023. I think that makes sense because, I mean, let's be real. A lot of divorces are initiated over finances. So this is something that you're going to have to talk about. You're going to have to talk about before you think about moving in with somebody, getting engaged, getting married. Like, these are conversations that you're going to have to have. And, you know, expectations are going to need to be set there and boundaries because finances end a lot of relationships. So it's good to have some of those talks early. Absolutely. Yeah, 100%. And you, I mean, just pointing out, like, the divorce rate over money. Yeah. Between that and quality time are two of the big indicators of why not only divorces but why relationships end. You know? And then with inflation with everything, I mean, you can't even get eggs. Oh, yeah. You know, can't get a lot of your used-to-be basic goods, you know? Mm-hmm. This is true. And this has been even more true over time, that wages don't rise with inflation. They don't keep track. So it just gets more expensive. And then the older generations will be like, I don't know why y'all can't do blah, blah, blah. Right. When I was your age, I paid for my tuition, I paid for a house, I paid for a car. I did everything. Like, well, shoot, Grandma. And how much debt do some of us have from education now? Oh, okay. Yeah, got it. Right, right. Like, my grandparents told me when I went back home to visit them during Easter, my grandma said, oh, yeah, we bought our house for $13,000. Like, shoot, you can't even buy a car, really, with that price. I mean, yes. Not a brand-new one. Not a brand-new one. Yeah, certainly not a house. Holy. You know? Even if you adjust it, it doesn't touch what things cost now. Mm-hmm. I mean, I forget where I read the statistic, but I think the majority of people are now living with their parents longer, and they're living with their parents as old as, like, even in their 30s. Yeah. Yeah. Due to the cost of everything. Yeah. Mm-hmm. You had a very lucky and selfish generation. Thank you so much. Right, right. Thanks. Thanks. But I appreciate it. I'm glad you're talking shit to us now. You've created this mess, but that's fine. But that's fine. Here we are. But, you know, blame us for their coffee and our avocados, please. Yeah, that's a problem. That's a problem. Yeah. Our $2.50, $3 coffee every day is the reason why we can't buy houses and all the things that we need today. Uh-huh. Exactly. You want to just save your money. Well, whatever. Yeah. It's the avocado sales. Yeah. That's definitely it. If I would stop eating avocado toast, I could put $50,000 down on a house. Right, right. In like a year. Because that totally makes sense. Uh-huh. Right. Gosh, this older generation, these baby boomers. But, yeah, I mean, going back to this topic, this kind of just, again, brings up the dating, suggested dating experiences, or just potential dates in general. Again, I like how they highlighted that it doesn't need to be this fancy over-the-top influencer kind of dates of, oh, my God, look at me, I'm in this sky tower overlooking the city, and I have this nice steak with wine. And, like, it doesn't need to be like that. Like, Brandi, what you mentioned earlier about, you know, having a picnic in the woods. That's something cute, sweet, and thoughtful. You know, I'd rather have that to begin with. And it can be a lot of fun because you can act a fool in the woods or, you know, you can be more silly and not pay for a high-class restaurant. Mm-hmm. Actually, the best date, I don't know if I ever shared this with you. Maybe I have. But the best date I've ever had was similar to that picnic. So this guy, this was back out in Utah, this guy picked me up in his truck, and usually we would go out dates to different places. And, I mean, just me, myself, I like to dress nice because that's just me. But he told me, I'm fancy. But this guy told me, now, Taylor, purposely, I know you dress nice, wear sweats. Like, wear sweats, why? He's like, believe me, wear sweats. Please, please do. Please dress in comfort. I'm like, okay. Whatever you say, my guy. And he didn't tell me anything. He just told me, wear sweats, I'll pick you up at 7, whatever. I'm like, okay. Jump in his truck. And we started going up this huge mountain. And he found this one part where we're at the very top of the mountain, can oversee the whole city. And he brought his own, like, grill and everything and chairs and had a whole meal planned out for us. So he, like, had steaks and he grilled it right there and had, like, hors d'oeuvres and different things, like, little, like, charcuterie, wine. Like, it was, and we watched the sunset. Like, it was so thoughtful and so cute. I would be a very happy lady. It was great. I enjoyed it. And I was in sweats. I was in comfort. Just chilling. Just chilling, watching the sunset with him. He made our dinner. Dinner, date, outside. It was perfect. Sweats. And sweats, yeah. Like I said, that was the best date I've ever been on. Unfortunately, that didn't work out with that guy. But that's okay. He set the standard. So we'll see. Yeah. I just need you to chill and I'm going to treat you, girl. I'll treat you. Yeah, I'd be real happy with that. Like I said, just something, just, and it wasn't expensive either. I mean, going to the grocery store and getting a few things, like, I mean, yeah, he went above and beyond and got steaks. But shoot, you can get, I don't know, chicken or something on the cheaper side. But, I mean, again, just thoughtful ideas or a walk in the park together. Getting coffee. I mean, these are all things that you can do that's on the more frugal side of stuff. All right. So kind of recapping from all these 2023 dating trends, Brandy, did any of them surprise you at all? No, absolutely not. I think these are all moves in the right direction. I think these are all healthy things. And I wonder, too, how much of this has to do with people are just getting married later. So dating looks different and people, they're just older. And so we have, you know, more life experience, more life experience, more things that we're thinking about or a little bit more established in our lives and have a better idea, really, of what we want instead of just, well, you know, children getting married. Babies making babies. You know? Right. Like adult dating now instead of seeing children. You know? I don't know how else to say that. Right, right. And I think we got a lot of credit to, like, the Gen Zers, too. Because I feel like you're heading all these different trends, too. And, I mean, a lot of them, maybe more so than millennials, are single and out in the dating scene now. So that's probably why these trends are up and coming, why we're seeing all these different categories happen is we're normalizing healthy habits and healthy characteristics and things that you should be entertaining while dating. Let's hope. We're definitely not Gen Zers. No, I mean, we're not. But I think the majority of people that are in their 30s are, like, married or with kids or. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe we need to take a poll. One of the things that surprised me was the remote dating. That, okay, I take it back. That one did surprise me because I don't get it. Personally, I don't get it. Yeah, that was a surprising trend that I saw. But I do understand it, especially in our world today, where we are entertaining what remote working looks like and how we're utilizing all of that to the best of our ability. So, yeah, I mean, you can definitely. I mean, I've noticed from living in Tampa to living in Salt Lake to where we currently live now. Like, there's definitely more of a selection in living in a city versus living in a college town. So, I mean, I don't know. I don't fault people for expanding their horizons and, I guess, remote dating from other places. I don't know. Like, I guess I can see a more general greater willingness to move. If you're already dating someone, if you're in a position where you can have a remote job, because then you don't have to quit your job to pick up and be with somebody. But starting with a relationship with somebody that's not near you still just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Like, I'm sorry, I'm not moving across the country to figure out if I actually want to date you or not. Like, I don't know. It ain't happening. Right, right. Well, there's some people that are brave and, I guess, will do it. There's people that I've talked to either from Utah or just people in general. I mean, we're smack dab in the middle of Pennsylvania, right? And, well, why don't you just date people from Pittsburgh? Why don't you just date people from Philadelphia? Well, I mean, it's not really ideal either dating people that live two and a half hours away either. Yeah, no, absolutely not. Yeah. I feel, I don't know, like, great quality time. You really need to get to know somebody, and the best way to do that is spending time with them. And how are you going to do that if you're not, like, physically near them? Right, right. Like, geodistance issues, like, I don't know about that. There was this one guy, though, that I matched with when I initially moved to Tampa. So back up. I lived in Utah, then moved to Tampa, then moved back to Utah. But when I first lived in Utah and I knew I was going to move to Tampa, I switched all my dating apps to Tampa, and I matched with this guy. And, I mean, we connected instantly just via texting, phone calls, whatever. But it was really funny because I matched with him a week prior to me moving to Tampa, and I was like, oh, well, you know, when can I see you, da-da-da, whatever. And I, like, messaged him in the app, like, oh, yeah, like, I'm not there yet, but I'm about to be. I ironically live across the country. I don't know. It was just funny. I wanted to see what the dating scene was like out there. I mean, I don't know, I was kind of bored. Yeah. I mean, fair enough. I mean, I came here and the dating scene is just on and popping for years in a college town. I mean, we're swinging. We're swinging at least. I don't know. Swinging and a-missing. Swinging and a-missing, but I'm very optimistic about this season, though. We'll see. My psychic said that I'm going to meet somebody this summer. So I'm holding on to that idea. We'll see. Again, but I'm not pressuring myself either. There's some people that are out there that hate being single. I need to find somebody. I need to date this person, da-da-da, whatever. Like, no. When it happens, it happens. I'm just here to meet people and to connect, and we'll see. I'm getting too old. Right. Oh, my good. I'm getting upper 30s. I'm going to be a lady with tats. Like, no. Like, just chill. Like, do you want to waste your time with somebody you don't actually want to date because you don't want to be single? Right, right. It's just the idea of settling. Like, I don't want to settle for just anybody. Like, I know, and I'm not trying to be like, eh, I'm just this good-looking girl. Like, I mean, I know. If I wanted a boyfriend right now, I could easily get one. It's not that hard. Would not be an issue. Right, right. Right. I mean, I actually had a guy that I went on a few dates with in Florida that recently texted me, told me he bought a house, and then said, hey, when are you going to move back down here so we can get married? Like, okay. Chill. Chill, my guy. Chill. Relax. Relax. Yeah, all fun and games. But, yeah, I just, you know, I'm in that, I don't know, at that point in my life where, like, yeah, again, I could settle for anybody, sure. If I really was worried about being with somebody, like, yeah, whatever. But I don't want to just settle for anybody. I want a partner that's going to fulfill all my needs across the board, that's going to act like my best friend, you know? I think the gist of what you're getting at here is if you believe that you're a catch, you won't feel the need to settle. Exactly. Boom. That's all there is to it. But I'm not, what do they call that distance? Wander loving? Wonder love? Yeah. Wonder loving? Wonder loving? No. I'm not a wonder lover. Not a wonder lover. Mm-mm. I mean, hey. I mean, I wouldn't say that's ideal for me because I can't work and move remotely, but maybe the dude can work remotely and he wants to relocate to Pennsylvania. I don't know. Do you have some random man moving to Pennsylvania to date you? I mean, what if he's the one? And I'm the catch. And if he's going to work, he's got to move to me. So, sorry, baby. We will discuss this if this becomes a thing. Listen, I got travel plans in my future. I mean, at the end of the month, I'm going to stage coach. So stay tuned for that. It's going to be so much fun. But, yeah, what if I meet somebody out in California? I don't know. And then there we go, like my San Diego guy. Yeah. You know? Yeah. My Marine guy that I met for New Year's. I mean, I don't know. We connected, but he's not relocating anytime soon. We will have plenty to update about come next month because same weekend Taylor's going to stage coach. I am going to be at a bachelor party. Yes. So much is happening. A lot of news to reveal. Hopefully some good stories. I'm sure I will, knowing me. I'm just going to be the one woman in a group of dudes. Thank you, guys. And vacay-tay is coming out. Like I said, so many stories. I don't care attitude is really going to emphasize on coming out for summer. And I told you, I am outside. I am seen in the summer. So stay tuned. Stay tuned. But, again, just recapping, y'all, all these dating trends, just dating in general, just be open, be honest, and don't be afraid to be vulnerable. Kind of talked about that and resonated with a lot of these topics here. Just, you know, you don't necessarily need to have a type. Like I said, early in my dating years, I went for a lot of the athletes because I'm an athlete, too. But it's okay to go outside your box and see what else is out there. You know, this one should not be too difficult for me because the only, you know, thing in common I feel like my exes have is that they're funny. So I don't know that I have much of a box to break. Well, I love funny guys. I love witty guys, though. Because there's lowbrow humor that's like the Will Ferrell, like stupid, but a guy that's super intelligent and just witty and can just throw those comments out there like, ooh, that was good. I love that. Double meaning me. Because then it's like, oh, oh. Yeah, I love those. Love those. Yeah, all my exes have been, I mean, I haven't had a boyfriend for, a good minute, but my last ex was an athlete. That's why I said, like, I tend to date the athletes. And now it's not so much I need an athlete, but I need a guy that, I mean, kind of like that one trend that takes care of themselves. You just want somebody who's active. Yeah, well, it's kind of hard to date a video couch potato when I'm, like, out and about running or hiking or whatever. And I'm like, come on, let's go. They don't want to see the sunlight. We're not going to vibe. No. Lizards, they're not. Lizards don't bond well with. Caterpillars. I guess not. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. But, yeah, match my vibe, match my energy. We'll see. Dee, dee, dee. All right, y'all, thank you for listening to our episode. Catch us next Wednesday for our new episode. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.
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