Not going to lie, I love The Bachelor. I love it in all its cheesy, schmaltzy wonderment, and I’m super psyched that Ben Higgins has taken The Bachelor torch for Season 20. That being said, being a lifelong (almost) member of Bachelor Nation does screw with your head a little bit. It really distorts what you think romance should be versus what romance actually is — dating in real life is obviously very different than it is on The Bachelor .
I’ve been with my guy for nearly seven years now (yikes, amirite?), and we’re in full relationship mode. The honeymoon has been over for years. I love the man dearly, and he treats me like the queen I am, but I have to admit — sometimes, when we’re watching The Bachelor (and by we’re watching I mean he is reading or something and basically just sitting with me because New York City apartments), I wonder why he can’t take me on a helicopter ride. Why haven’t we gone to Fiji and hiked under a waterfall? What am I doing wrong here? Nothing, I'm just not dating on TV. And, after years of being a Bachelor fan and being in a relationship, I've noticed these are the main differences of dating IRL and dating on The Bachelor .
Trips To Tahiti Vs.Trips To My Cable Provider
Tahiti or an island very similar to Tahiti (tropical, lush, fairly deserted, romantic, etc.) is usually a key destination in a Bachelor or Bachelorette season. It’s a great location for proposal backdrops, and it’s exotic enough to seem very exciting to viewers like me that are on the couch. But, instead of Tahiti, I get taken out to the cable company's offices to return a remote that I’ve had four months longer than I knew. Picture it — long lines, angry cashiers, and an air of impatience so thick I could cut it with a coaxial cable. I’ve been with my man for almost a decade, the Bachelor contestants know that man for, like, three weeks, and they’re the ones who get Tahiti? Seems unfair.
Private Cooking Classes With Famous Chefs Vs. Takeout Thai
A popular one-on-one date on The Bachelor is a cooking class or a scenario in which a famous local chef cooks a spectacular meal for the Bachelor and his date. In my apartment, we order Thai food to our door and delight in getting enough for five people instead of two. The people on The Bachelor virtually never get to eat their food (it’s really just for show), so I think that I win this one here. I get to sit in sweats (not a ball gown), watch Netflix, and eat my weight in pad see ew with my partner in crime beside me? Yep, this is one where real life trumps Bachelor life. I'm too lazy and too much of an introvert to care about ball gowns.
Getting Dolled Up All Day Vs. Lounging In Face Masks
I truly do think getting dressed up, or at least putting in some effort, for your mate is a great idea, but it must be freakin’ exhausting to be a contestant on The Bachelor. I mean, besides the whole process of being on a reality show, you have to look amazing basically every single moment of every single day. Think how long it probably took Ashley I. to get ready when she was on The Bachelor and Bachelor In Paradise and multiply that by every day. That’s too much for me. While I do like to get gussied up for the BF, he loves me in my leggings and alma mater t-shirt, and that definitely makes all the difference. I don’t even have to shave my legs. Now that’s love.
The key differences between dating IRL and dating on The Bachelor? Dating on The Bachelor seems pretty superficial. Real-life relationships have a foundation, so there’s less makeup and hairspray and more actual commitment. While I would love a helicopter ride over a major metropolitan city now and then, I think I’m all set in my love life.
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Images: Rick Rowell/ABC; Giphy (3)
