Episode 24 - On this week's episode I pod with my mom and dad. I've been holding onto this episode for several months. Early in the year my dad was diagnosed with cancer and so I stayed with my parents for a little while. This episode was recorded the night before he went into surgery to remove parts of his colon, which you would never know because he sounds very chipper. My parents just celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary last week, so I felt it appropriate to share some of their tips and tricks for keeping things together. 

On this episode I chat with my friend John, who I've actually known since elementary school, about some of our experiences dating people who are older or younger than us, his experience using dating apps, going back and forth between ex's and a story about a guy I met on a date who gave me an anal ultimatum. 

On this episode I chat with my friend Chelsea about two of her most memorable bad dates. It's a very raw, unedited episode - in part because I currently have the flu and can hardly move and also because it's being recorded at my parent's house and they like to chime in and insert themselves both on my podcast and in real life. This pod episode airs on the lighter side and was hoping to lighten things up after a couple pretty serious pods in a row. Enjoy, kiddos. 

On this episode I chat with relationship expert and dating coach, Carla Romo, about vulnerability, rejection and disappointment, specifically in the initial stages of dating or when dates don't seem to get off the ground. This episode made me want to cringe, when I went back to edit it. Not because the story itself is sensational, but rather the opposite; the story is relatable and it happened recently.  If you are anything like me (sensitive and rejection adverse), this episode is like emotional equivalent of throwing salt in the path of snail, or at least it made me want to recoil. I'm really hard on myself, especially when it comes to rejection. I tend to make it about me and what I did wrong or how I could have been better or even how I could be more likable (which is nuts). Of course, after a little reflection, I've found the truth is that when someone doesn't like you romantically, it really has nothing to do with you. It's about them, their own needs and wants, and how those happen to be out of alignment with yours. So, if you're like me and you have a tendency to beat yourself up, give yourself a break.

Here's Carla's website :)

On this episode I chat with Alexander Juan Antonio Cortes, who's tweet, "How to be a Beautiful Woman," including a ridiculous list of demands went viral. He shared that women should be thin, be able to cook, have long hair, wear make up, be feminine, be graceful, be sensual, shave (should go without saying), be fashionable, wear pink and feminine colors, love men, listen to men. I tracked him down and got him to podcast. Let it be known, you're not going to like everything he has to say, but I think you might be surprised. Debate is healthy. Enjoy.

Oh, want to find him? That's here.

On this week's episode I chat with Melissa from the hilarious meme account on Instagram, @sh*tisaytoboys. We chat about some of the ridiculous messages men send to women via dating apps and beyond. We also discuss how men should and shouldn't approach women, a date where I showed up and he wasn't wearing any pants, and a social experiment that yielded sex in a New York airport. 

On this episode I chat with my lovely, artist friend, Bridgette, who's shares that she's never used dating apps but is recently single and starting to figure out what that looks like for her. Other topics we cover in this episode are dating and race, which was in reference to another NPR podcast called Invisibilia: A Very Offensive Rom-Com.

We also talk about what it means when someone needs space vs taking a break. Then, of course, we dive deep into a story about a mediocre #basicbro that I went on a couple dates with and then never heard from again. Also, do you yourself a favor and Google #patagucci. 

On this episode I chat with my friend Jun about inadvertently abstaining from sex. I also dive into a story about a guy who slid into my DM's, who approached me under the pretense he wanted to work together but that whiskey business turned out to be risky business. Oh, and then we dive into match making. Should match making be the new new since dating apps aren't really the move anymore? Give it a whirl. Give it a listen.

On this episode I surprise an ex boyfriend at work and convince him to podcast. We dated for several months and it ended in the worst way possible - cheating, STDs etc. Don't worry it's not all yelling or tears. Join us as we sit together and dissect where it went wrong and how we survived the breakup. There's actually a lot of levity and laughter.

This week's episode has little to nothing to do with bad dates but rather a deep dive into what it's like to be a sex worker in Berlin. A dear friend of mine has recently moved to Berlin to pursue a career in sex work and shares her stories. Let it be known the sound quality is a little rough because she's Skyping from her phone but you'll get the gist.