Five Stages of a New Relationship

By Jessica Zaleski

If you just started seeing someone new, chances are your relationship is going to go through some stages. These stages happen in almost every relationship (I don’t have a PhD in relationships or anything, I’m just going by my own experiences). So here are some stages that you and your new bf or gf will probably go through. And if you don’t, your relationship will probably end in a terrible break-up that has you eating a gallon of ice cream every day for a week (just kidding…you’ll only eat a gallon the first break-up night).

1. Butterflies and rainbows

So you two just started dating, and obviously everything is perfect. You want to spend every minute with each other and you can’t keep your hands off each other. You’ve forgotten who your friends are because you haven’t seen them in a week; you’re too busy being complimented on how perfect you are.

2. You meet the friends

If you already know each others friends, you’ll probably skip this. But if not, he gets to meet your friends and you get to meet his. He’ll definitely love drinking cocktails with you and your girls at your favorite Asian-fusion restaurant followed by a Grey’s Anatomy marathon. And I’m sure you’ll have a blast hanging with his bros playing XBox while drinking Red Bull and eating 4-day-old pizza. YUM!

3. Your first fight

Uh-oh. You guys went out last night and  another guy hit on you, and now your BF is upset. Or he forgot to mention that his “friend” who he went to lunch with was really his ex. It’s okay though, you won’t break up. Everybody has to fight eventually (just don’t fight like Sammi and Ronnie).

4. Sex

This stage doesn’t have to be number four. It can be number one or number five or anywhere in between, but having sex with someone new is a big thing. You’re letting them see all of you, and sex means this person most likely means something to you (unless you’re Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian, then sex means you get a reality show).

5. I love you

This is the leap into the next stage, once you say “I love you,” your relationship is no longer new. As Carrie Bradshaw once said, “Everything before I love you just doesn’t count.”