#TipsForDudes: The Bermuda Triangle of Dating

 #TalkNerdyToMeLover's @JenSquard

Okay, this one is actually for chicks, too - really it's for anyone that is dating, whether it's serious or new.  Now that we are into the meat of December, we have entered what I like to call the Bermuda Triangle of Dating.  It is a tough time of year, especially for relationsips.  Here's the thing - once you have reached mid-December, you tend to be stuck in whatever relationship you are in.  If you aren't happy, it is now going to be really hard to get out of.  At this point you have probably already bought a gift for your datee, and even if you haven't there is a solid chance that they have gotten one for you.  Now that we're just a week away, it's hard to want to either spend the holidays alone, or back out on the prospect of that new watch you've had your eye on.  And who wants to be the asshole that breaks up with someone right before Christmas?

Then right around the corner is New Year's Eve.  This is a tricky one, too.  While it isn't a traditionally romantic holiday, it seems to be the one that everyone wants to be paired up for.  The new year is a time to start things out right, or at least be in someone's arm so you feel like you are heading in the right direction.  So you are stuck for another couple of weeks. 

That takes us just a month away from Valentine's Day.  You have a very small window of opportunity here - if you want out, early January is a good choice.  Wait too long, and you are the douchenozzle that breaks a heart right before the big love day.  Valentine's day is a tough one anyways, and everyone loses their damn minds about it.  If you want to psychologically damage someone, especially a bleeding heart, break up with them in this time frame.  Yikes.

So with Christmas just a week away, now is the time to decide if you want out, or if you want to wait until late February to move on.  This isn't just an emotional commitment, this is a financial issue as well.  I personally think that if you aren't happy you should get out whenever you need to.  I don't care if it's Christmas morning with everyone in their footie pajamas.  Cut it off, do it nicely, and save them from wondering if you stayed because of the season.  You only live once, and you have to own it.  There just isn't time for silliness.  I just wanted to warn you that it gets complicated.  So be careful.

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